Legal Services Manager for SSNIT, Emmanuel Sackey has warned that those who fail to pay SSNIT contributions for their employees are liable to a fine of GH¢2,000 or a jail term of 5 years in compliance with Section 64 of the Pensions Act.
This, he continued, is true for all companies, even those who hire housekeepers. “It is not voluntary, it is compulsory,” he said.
Acting Public Affairs Manager of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Charles Akwei Garshong, who was also on the show, stated on JoyNews’ The Law on Sunday, February 6, 2022, that such employers frequently argue that the house help has not been placed on any regular income, so they will not pay the SSNIT contributions.
He pointed out that this is insufficient reason for denying anyone’s SSNIT contributions.
He said; “You’re under obligation to register and pay that person you have engaged as a house help. You have engaged that person for service and you are paying him/her directly or indirectly, so you’ll need to get to our office, let’s sit down and agree on how the payment is going to be made.”
He also cautioned; “Probably for now, you would say no one will come to your home and check, but when we get to know, we’ll come after you with court summons.”
They both stated that pursuing legal action against delinquent employers is not something SSNIT enjoys. As a result, all companies should follow the laws and pay their employees the proper SSNIT contributions.
Source: myjoyonline.com
