The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has revealed that its aggressive drive to rid its books of ghost pensioners has raked in over GH¢320 million in savings.
SSNIT, as the foremost pensions fund in the country, has been grappling with the challenge of ghost names on its roll over the years.
Speaking to Citi News after appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Director General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang said steps are being taken to sustain the drive.
“In fact, since we started this exercise in 2018, we have withheld over GH¢320 million that would have gone to pensioners who may have died after they had exhausted their guaranteed pension entitlements. This means that, every year, pensioners reach out to SSNIT and get biometrically verified.”
In all, 6,339 ghost names were cleared from the scheme’s payroll.
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“To ensure that payment of funds to deceased pensioners aged 72 years and above, under PNDCL 247 and those aged 75 years and above under Act 766 ceases, all pensioners within the stated age categories are required by policy to complete a pensioner certificate every year to confirm they are alive.”
“Those who do not complete the certificates are deemed not to be alive and have their names deleted from the pensions payroll”, Dr. Ofori Tenkorang added.
