The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has received over GH¢ 61 million contributions for its Self-Employed Enrol­ment Drive (SEED) initiative between May, 2023 and August, this year.

According to the SEED Manager, Mr Richard Manu, the contributions were col­lected from about 114,983 members who have been registered onto the initiative.

Launched in May, last year, the initiative was aimed at extending pension coverage to self-employed persons and workers in the informal sector.

Mr Manu disclosed this during the annual Employers Breakfast Meeting organised by SSNIT for some selected employers and stakeholders in Accra, yesterday.

Under the theme, "Maximising the use of digital platforms to improve contribution collection and payment," the meeting was to serve as a platform to provide feedback for the Trust and to help strengthen the Trust's relationship with employers.

It also formed part of effort to interact with its stakeholders, share ideas and also use the platform to educate them on new initiatives meant to enhance the Tier One Pension Scheme.

Shedding light on the monthly registra­tion, Mr Manu said in May last year 5,022 SEED members were recorded as com­pared to 6,070 members in May this year.

For the contribution, he said, the GH¢ 2.11million was received in May last year and it increased to GH¢ 4.32 million, one year later.

The highest contributor, he said received GH¢186,777.58 monthly and the lowest contributor received GH¢409.10 Mr Manu said the SEED allowed every worker to join the SSNIT scheme and con­tribute towards their retirement by enabling them to benefit from a comprehensive pension package offered by the Trust.

In addition to the retirement benefit, he said contributors were also entitled to invalidity pensions, survival lump sums, em­igration benefits, disability support, among others.

In maximising the use of digital plat­forms to improve contribution collection and payment, Mr Manu said the Trust had introduce a new initiative, the SSNIT Digi­tal Bouquet, which aimed to improve access to social security services across the nation, bringing convenience and efficiency to the fingertips of all stakeholders.

The SSNIT Digital Bouquet, he ex­plained encompassed three groundbreaking digital platforms namely the upgraded SSNIT website & portal, the enhanced USSD service and the brand-new SSNIT Mobile App designed to make social security services more accessible than ever before. "This initiative improves trust with our key constituents- employers and increase contribution payments through the e-pay­ment platform," he added.

The Director-General, SSNIT, Mr Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo, emphasised the significant role played by SSNIT in all pension schemes, and assured the Trust's commitment to offering workers the best composition of benefits for their retire­ment while monitoring, and managing their investment and operations prudently.

He advised workers, particularly those in the informal sector, to prioritise their pension by joining the SSNIT scheme and actively contributing towards their retire­ment to secure their future.

The Deputy Director-General, Oper­ations and Benefits, Ms Juliana Kpedek­po, underscored the need to continue to communicate the unparalleled value and benefits of the SSNIT Scheme, rather than solely rely on the legal compulsion to extend pension coverage.

Participants present at the meeting raised concerns about potential loopholes in the enrolment process and urged SSNIT to address these issues to facilitate a smoother registration experience.  BY VIVIAN ARTHUR