SSNIT Issues Legal Warning to Employers Over Mandatory Pension Contributions

Emmanuel Sackey, the Legal Services Manager for the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), has clarified that under Section 64 of the Pensions Act, employers who fail to remit social security contributions for their workers face severe legal consequences.

Defaulting parties are liable for a fine of GH¢2,000, a prison sentence of up to five years, or both. Mr. Sackey emphasized that these contributions are a statutory obligation rather than a voluntary choice, applying to all forms of employment without exception.

This legal requirement extends specifically to domestic workers, such as house helps. Charles Akwei Garshong, the Acting Public Affairs Manager of SSNIT, noted that employers often wrongly assume that domestic staff are exempt if they do not receive a traditional “regular income.”

He dismissed this justification, stating that any person engaged for service, whether paid directly or indirectly, must be registered. SSNIT officials have urged employers to proactively visit their offices to arrange payment plans, warning that while domestic settings may seem private, the Trust will utilize court summons once defaults are identified.

Both representatives stressed that while SSNIT prefers compliance over litigation, they will strictly enforce the law to protect the pension rights of all workers.