SSNIT Confiscates Properties of Defaulting Companies

The Eastern Regional office of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has seized the property of two companies at Nsawam for failing to settle the Social Security contributions of their workers to the tune of over 26 million cedis as at December 2000.

The Nsawam Cannery Products Company (formerly Nsawam GIHOC Cannery) had its property attached for failing to settle the outstanding contributions of about 22 million cedis in respect its workers while the Christian Relief Organisation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), was being held for 4.2 million cedis default.

Sources close to the Prosecution Unit of the Regional Office of SSNIT said the action was executed last Friday based on the judgement of the Nsawam Community Tribunal presided by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa.

It said the SSNIT would later seek an order to dispose of the property attached to retrieve the amount owed if the companies failed to come forward to negotiate payment terms.

In another development, SSNIT had issued a writ against the Alpine Farms also at Nsawam, claiming outstanding social security contributions of its workers amounting to 21 million cedis for the period between October 1999 and April, this year.

The source said the actions were a continuation of recent efforts to retrieve millions of cedis owed the SSNIT by employers and tenants in the region in respect of social security contributions and rent respectively.