Some establishments operating in the Western and Central Regions have been dragged to court by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for failing to pay SSNIT contributions totaling GH¢1,805,928.65.

Stephen Asamoah, the Takoradi Area Manager of SSNIT, who disclosed this to CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE in an interview yesterday, mentioned that 21 organizations appeared before the courts for failing to pay a total GH¢1,971,591.37 as of May 2013.

He mentioned the establishments as Primewood Products, GH¢938,204.41; Intex Company Limited, GH¢98,096.43; Egem Services Limited, GH¢27,374.75; BB Motors and Trading Enterprise, GH¢17,538.15 and Willstan Civil and Mining, GH¢ 23,394.73.

The rest were Mercy Lodge, Takoradi, GH¢12,594.16; Pekendon Wood Products, Takoradi, GH¢13,092.04; Beach FM, Takoradi, GH¢26872.15; Brite-Life Clinic Limited, Takoradi, GH¢4,991.84, Wisdom International School, Agona-Nkwanta, GH¢8,132.11 and Western Bulk Haulage, Takoradi GH¢5,403.11.

He also indicated that 19 employers were summoned to appear before the courts in July for failing to pay contributions of their workers.

They included M&L Trinity Company Limited, GH¢31,963.98; Crusader Health, GH¢11,858.98; Top Quality Catering Limited, GH¢10,209.11; ENH Emulsion Limited, GH¢11,048.70; Kwansa Auto Limited, GH¢9,214.93 and Mpohor Wassa East District Assembly, GH¢2,119.09.

The rest were Mpohor Wassa East Health Insurance, GH¢8,829.37; Klutse Amuzu Preparatory School, Tarkwa, GH¢6,632.66; Lit Light Engineering, Tarkwa, GH¢7998.05; Yenook Wood Products, Takoradi, GH¢7,122.25; Best Life Financial Company, Cape Coast, GH¢3,167.82; Water & Sanitation Board, Twifo Hemang, GH¢3,129.26 and Gladys Catering, Tarkwa, GH¢2,840.84.

Mr. Asamoah stressed the need for employers to regularly pay the contributions of their workers to SSNIT.

“In this regard my outfit will soon embark on ‘Operation pay your contributions on time’ intended to prevent situations whereby employers accumulate the contributions to a level that becomes very challenging to pay,” he noted.

The Takoradi SSNIT Area Manager was optimistic the defaulting employers would pay the contributions of their workers, adding “this debt is having a great toll on the administration of the 1st Tier Pension Scheme.”

He pointed out that his outfit had already embarked on an intensive debt recovery exercise to retrieve all debts by the close of the year, stressing that legal actions would be intensified in the Western and Central regions.

In a related development, bench warrants have been issued for the arrest of the owners of some organizations who failed to appear before the courts on charges related to non-payment of social security contributions.

They include Nasona Oil Filing Station, Apremdo near Takoradi; A3 Construction Limited, Takoradi; Beach FM, Takoradi; Promise Land Creche, Tarkwa and Wakson Cleaning Services, Tarkwa.

The rest were Fynn Upgrade School, Tarkwa; Codesult Ntework, Asankragwa; Global Response Initiative, Asankragwa; Mansfield Enterprise, Cape-Coast; Tarvic Catering, Abeka Memorial College and International School, all in Breman Asikuma in the Central Region.