April 30, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
It has emerged from the weekly Ministry of Information presser that the National Social Security and Insurance and Trust, NASSIT has made considerable stride in ensuring compliance of institutions and individuals to the payment requirement of the scheme.
Evidence of this claim has been reflected in payroll increase from 24,002 in June 2018 to 27,546 as at March 2021. This leap has been measured at 15% increase.
One major source of the progressive strides made by the Trust has been anchored around the Social Security Trust Court, A-Z has gathered.
Director General Mohamed Fuad Daboh attributed the development reflected in fiscal growth to among other things the increased staff recruitment of inspectors who are crucial to the work of the Trust.
He alluded to key challenges that they inherited namely: incomplete documentation, gaps in member’s contributions, wrong member’s records, lack of information update and infrastructural deficiencies and data integrity issues.
In resolving the inherited problems, NASSIT has introduced Project 54+ with the primary responsibility of interfacing with our members in order to ensure that their data are up to date before they apply for their retirement.
Director Daboh said this has shortened the benefit processing claim time; it has increased access to our benefit.
He added: “in order to maintain the credibility of the scheme and to regularly monitor the true value of the pension roll, we have conducted nationwide verification exercise for all categories of NASSIT pensioners and are currently verifying pensioners. These exercises, which are normal activities in social security administration, are geared towards ascertaining the existence of such pensioners.”
NASSIT has also been in position to negotiate the rescinding of the procurement moratorium on ICT infrastructure that was imposed by the past government. Director Daboh said he cannot fathom what led to the ban on the procurement of the ICT equipment that was underway since 2014.
“We have signed a contract agreement with INFOCAREER and TELLIS CONSORTIUM Project Management Consulting Firm through a public tender to manage our ICT transformation drive. Installation of the infrastructure to host the new software is in progress. The system be equipped with special features that will enhance process efficiency and will interface with consumers to improve quality of service delivery, the Director General further revealed.
On the viability of NASSIT investments, NASSIT has hired a Financial Analysts Consulting Firm Price Water Coopers to review and recommend action areas that would be employed to determine policy decision on these investments going forward.