Self-employed sportsmen and administrators have been urged to enrol onto the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) scheme to shelter their future.
"Boxers, footballers, athletes, basketball players and even sports administrators, who are now self-employed should endeavour to register under the SSNIT scheme as Self-Employed."
National Coordinator of the Footballers and SSNIT Registration Process, who also doubles as the Accra Representative of Berekum Chelsea Football Club, Joseph Nkoo, made the call during a meeting with a number of footballers at the SWAG Park in Kotobabi, an Accra suburb, at the weekend.
He rapped the footballers, some of whom are now self-employed, to enrol onto the scheme, "so you can benefit immensely after you attain age 60."
Mr Nkoo also called on the sporting industry to take advantage of the ongoing SSNIT Self-Employment Enrolment Drive (SEED) to join the SSNIT scheme for a brighter future.
Nkoo disabused the minds of some Ghanaians in the sports industry who think SSNIT was meant for only government or company workers "where there is employer-employee relationship."
In what he described as an education tour, Nkoo explained into detail the benefits of joining the scheme, particularly the Old Age Pension, Survivors Lump Sum, Invalidity Pension and the Free Healthcare scheme through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
He singled out the Invalidity Pension as the possible favourite for the sporting industry because of unexpected injuries, stressing that SSNIT was the only Pension Scheme in the country that provides the Invalidity scheme. Beneficiaries of this scheme, he emphasised, are eligible to enjoy the Old Age Pension, Survivors Lump Sum, Invalidity Pension and the Free Healthcare scheme.
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"Even our brothers, sisters and friends who are plumbers, taxi drivers, carpenters, masons, traders, market women, hairdressers and barbers, among others, can all join the SSNIT scheme as Self-Employed, explaining that membership qualification ages are between 15 and 45 years.
He asserted that members needed to be enrolled for 15 years (180 months) in order to qualify for pension in future with its annual increments.
"Once you join the SSNIT scheme, you will receive monthly income/pension during old age or in the event of permanent invalidity until death," he said, adding that amount received as benefits depends on one's contributions.
Mr Nkoo assured beneficiaries of a guaranteed annual increment in pension, saying "it is safe and backed by the State."
The Footballers' SSNIT Coordinator also prevailed on employers of footballers, technical members of the 18 clubs in the Ghana Premier League (GPL), and all clubs in the Division One League (DOL) - and others, to endeavour to pay their SSNIT contributions - since non-payment was against the law.
