Defaulting employers advised to reschedule debt payments

Takoradi, April 26, GNA - A SSNIT manager has appealed to employers who owe the Social Security and National Insurance Trust in respect of workers contributions to take advantage of avenues open to them like rescheduling payment of such debts.

Mr George Blege, Sekondi-Takoradi Branch Manager of SSNIT, said the tendency for defaulting employers to wait until they were taken to court before they honour their obligations to the Trust was not the best. He said the doors of the Trust are open for negotiations and rescheduling of debt payments on "very flexible terms".

"Disputes over amounts owed to the Trust could be resolved amicably by taking another look into the books of defaulting companies for reconciliation," Mr Blege told the GNA in an interview. SSNIT is taking court action to recover about eight billion cedis from 30 defaulting companies.

He said the court action should not be misconstrued as a means to stifle or disrupt the operations of affected organisations.

Mr Blege said as a result of the court action most of the organisations who have failed to pay contributions deducted from workers salaries to the Trust were making efforts to honour their obligations to SSNIT. He warned against the tendency by some organisations to keep two salary books to conceal the number of workers and deductions from their salaries, describing this as "criminal".

He advised to workers to be courageous and report all "shady deals" employed by some organisations to cheat them.