Approximately 1.8 million individuals are estimated to be members of the SSNIT Scheme
By March 2023, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Scheme had an estimated total membership of 1.8 million, according to Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister of Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions.
This statistic indicates that around 8.1 million out of an estimated working population of 9.9 million in Ghana may not have any form of social security coverage.
Mr. Baffour Awuah stressed the importance of digitalization to extend social security coverage and urged social security institutions in West Africa to leverage digital technologies to bridge this coverage gap.
He made these remarks at the SSNIT – International Social Security Association (ISSA) Technical Seminar in Accra, which is themed “Digitalization to Leverage Extension of Social Security Coverage in West Africa.”
In Ghana, social security coverage has primarily focused on the formal sector, comprising 27.3 percent of the estimated working population of 9.9 million. About 600,000 self-employed individuals have gained some form of social security coverage.
The government has been actively pursuing digitalization initiatives in the Employment, Labor, and Pensions sector. The Ghana Labor Market Information System (GLMIS), a web-based repository for labor market data, is being piloted.
This system facilitates interaction between employers and jobseekers regarding job vacancies and required skills, contributing to evidence-based national development planning.
Additionally, the government is leveraging digital technology to introduce new software for the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), which aims to automate regulatory processes and ensure real-time monitoring.
Enrollment in the SSNIT Scheme has been simplified through the Ghana Card, requiring less documentation. This has resulted in increased enrollment and improved social security administration. Mr. Baffour Awuah emphasized the government’s commitment to using technology to make SSNIT services more accessible to the public.
While several African countries have introduced innovation into social protection programs, the coverage of social protection remains relatively low in Africa, as indicated by the ISSA’s 2023 Report on Social Security Developments and Trends in Africa.
Only 27.1 percent of older persons in Africa receive old-age benefits, compared to a global average of 77.5 percent. Additionally, just 17.4 percent of the African population is covered by at least one social protection benefit, compared to a global figure of 46.9 percent.
Ghana currently hosts the West Africa Liaison Office for the ISSA, taking over from Ivory Coast, which had hosted the office for several years.
Source – citinewsroom.com
