The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has intensified its drive to bring informal sector workers onto the pension scheme, with a vibrant sensitization float through the principal streets of Techiman in the Bono East Region.
The exercise, a precursor to the launch of SSNIT’s Customer Service Week, formed part of the Trust’s Self-Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED) campaign, which seeks to provide a reliable source of income and financial independence for workers during retirement or periods of inactivity.
The float was designed to raise awareness about the importance of social security and to extend pension coverage to self-employed individuals and informal sector workers, offering them a safety net and social protection.
Speaking during the exercise, Alex Appiah, SSNIT Area Manager in charge of the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions, underscored the significance of taking the campaign to the doorstep of workers who are often too busy to visit SSNIT offices.
“We are targeting the people who are unable to visit our offices due to their busy schedules,” he said.
Mr. Appiah stressed that joining SSNIT remains one of the surest ways for informal sector workers to guarantee their future, describing the Trust’s product offering as unique.
“It is important to join SSNIT because they are unique in terms of the products they offer, which have to do with monthly payments until death,” he explained.
The SEED campaign is SSNIT’s flagship initiative aimed at extending pension coverage to the country’s large informal sector, which includes traders, artisans, farmers, transport operators and other self-employed professionals.
Under the scheme, contributors enjoy:
· Lifetime monthly pension payments after retirement
· Financial independence during old age
· Social protection during periods of inactivity
· A reliable income for beneficiaries in the event of death
The Techiman float saw SSNIT staff engage traders, commuters and residents, explaining the benefits of the scheme and how self-employed persons can enroll.
The exercise forms part of a broader push by the Trust to demystify pensions and make social security accessible to every Ghanaian worker, regardless of whether they earn a formal salary or not.