SSNIT prosecutes defaulting employers

Two employers, Ms Salaah Marious of Caribbean Atlantic Ghana and Dr Alex Eyiah of Greenland Hotel, are to be arrested  for refusing to appear in court.

The arrests will be the second time in two months that the two have been arrested after being served with criminal summons by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for non-payment of workers’ contributions.

Ms Marious was first arrested in May, this year but she paid GH¢54,095.92 out of the GH¢108,048.46.

The Area Manager of the Accra North Area office of SSNIT, Mrs Rosemary Sackey, said during the last court session, Mr Prince Owusu, SSNIT’s prosecutor, informed the court that Ms Marious, who was represented in court by her lawyer, had failed to comply with previous orders of the court.

Dr Eyiah, who owes GH¢ 87,801.41, faces the same charge and is to be arrested to reappear before the Swedru District Court after failing to do so.

Dr Eyiah, whose indebtedness covers the period August to December 2012,  was also first arrested in May 2013.

In another development, Mr Nuamah Eshun Famiyeh of Xpert Security Ltd, who owes GH¢ 53,087.11, and who had previously failed to comply with the  terms of negotiations with SSNIT, was granted bail with one surety and ordered to pay GH¢ 3,000.00, by the Accra District Court.

He was also ordered to pay GH¢10,000 every month until he had defrayed the amount.

The Swedru District Court has also issued bench warrants for the arrest of 10 other employers. They are:  Abraham Inkum of Oxford JHS who owes GH¢2,120.70; Dramani Adofo of Adofson Enterprise, GH¢1,448.46; Edward Baffoe of Leaders Academy, GH¢ 823.74; Grace Obeng of Aba’s International School, GH¢ 1,337.64; and Joshua Nyame of Bright Joshua Transport, GH¢ 552.89.

The rest are: Charles Doughan of C. Doughan Electrical Works,  GH¢ 814.73; Beatrice Mbir of Victory Preparatory School, GH¢ 2627.02; Patrick Akorful of Apostolic Preparatory School, GH¢556.69, and Grace Arthur-Baiden of Pentecost Preparatory School, GH¢ 945.02.

Mrs Sackey expressed concern  that employers were deducting workers’ contributions as stipulated by the law, yet they did not comply with the provisions of the law for payment of the contributions to SSNIT.

She reiterated the fact that pensions for retirees are paid by SSNIT out of investments and contributions, hence there was the need to retrieve the huge arrears to ensure timely investments that would sustain the payment of the adequate pensions to retirees.

Mrs Sackey stressed that the days of leniency were over and that irrespective of the quantum of the amount owed by any employer, all legal means would now be employed to ensure security of income for the increasing number of workers and future pensioners.