Kumasi, Feb 23, GNA - Mr Enoch Acheampong, Kumasi Area Manager of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, (SSNIT) has asked owners of private schools to ensure that their employees' contributions to SSNIT are paid.

This, he said, was necessary to provide them with income security on retirement.

Mr Acheampong was addressing a seminar on the new SSNIT Pension Scheme, organized by the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) for its members in Kumasi.

It formed part of activities to mark this year's GNAPS celebration, under the theme, "A Non-Partisan State Policy - A Must for Ghana.' The new three-tier pension scheme came into effect from January 1, 2010. Mr Acheampong advised workers to make regular visits to the nearest SSNIT offices to them to check their contributions and update their records. Mr Andrews Opoku of the Motor Claims Department of the State Insurance Company (SIC), Kumasi Office, said it was obligatory under the Insurance Act 274, for property owners to insure their properties against fire, rainstorm and other disasters.

He said failure to do this could result in prosecution in the courts. Mr Samuel Appiah, Regional Chairman of the Association, described the seminar as educative and advised his colleagues to live up to their SSNIT and insurance responsibilities. He used the opportunity to appeal to non-members to join the association to enable them to have a united front to champion the cause of the private schools.