The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has begun the processes of merging its register with the national common platform provided by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
This merger, is simply a process to link the SSNIT numbers of members to their NIA numbers, i.e., the personal ID number on the Ghana Card. This means that the NIA numbers would become members’ SSNIT numbers after the merger.
The process which started on June 28, 2021 will be completed by the end of the year and will help SSNIT capture persons in the informal economy as contributors to the Trust and improve its ease of doing business.
Addressing Journalists as part of the engagement process, the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah underscored the importance of the integration, emphasizing that it would provide Ghanaians with a common platform for more effective and efficient identification system.
“The integration means individuals can now merge their SSNIT and Ghana Card ID numbers using a USSD code on their phones by dialing *711*9# and follow the prompt to merge their SSNIT number with that of the NIA,” Prof. Attafuah reiterated.
That he said would help members use one card that is the Ghana Card for multiple transactions noting that members do not have to carry a separate card for SSNIT transactions.
Touching on the benefits of a common platform, the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang said that the integration would allow members to check or print their SSNIT Statements of Accounts, pay contributions, apply for their benefits and perform other social security activities with SSNIT using the Ghana Card.
He noted that the ongoing process meant that beginning January 2022; Members who failed to merge their numbers would not be able to transact any business with the Trust. That is because the Ghana Card would be the only accepted identification for Members to transact business with SSNIT.
He cautioned that members could not apply for their benefits without the new identification card.
He was quick to add that the merger would not affect payment of pensions to those on the SSNIT pension payroll. Pensioners who were due to renew their Pensioners’ Certificate must provide the Ghana Card or NIA number for identification.
Source: MOI (PR Unit)
