Business News of Monday, 1 May 2017

Source: 3news.com

Engineers & Planners deny owing SSNIT

According to the company, they have fully paid off the outstanding amounts due SSNIT According to the company, they have fully paid off the outstanding amounts due SSNIT

Ghanaian mining firm Engineers and Planners says it has cleared all outstanding debts owed SSNIT.

This follows media reports that the company has been dragged to court over its failure to pay the SSNIT contribution of workers But in documents cited by TV3 news indicated, the company sought to clarify the circumstances surrounding its indebtedness to SSNIT.

On the 22nd of December 2016, SSNIT entered into a negotiated agreement with Engineers and Planners (E&P over the none payment of 1.6 million cedis as it does with all clients for the payment of arrears of social security contributions.

By the terms of the agreement, E&P were required to make 12 monthly installments commencing February this year to January 2018 As at 28th April 2017, E&P had made a total payment over 2 million cedis in full satisfaction of all outstanding arrears and penalties

The statement goes further to suggest that, SSNIT wrote to E&P on March 2 this year to serve notice that it has abrogated the negotiated agreement due to the failure of the company to make payment for February 2017, as a result of two days of delay in paying the first installment.

E&P informed SSNIT that it had made efforts for payment for February as agreed but for unexpected delays in their receivables on current contracts.

E&P further made a request for SSNIT to reconsider its decision to abrogate the negotiated agreement but SSNIT declined the request.

Instead on the 13th of April, a summons was issued to E&P to appear before the district court on 29th April 2017 to answer a complaint of failing to pay SSNIT contributions of 668,754.75 and penalty of 387,709.31, totaling 1,056,464.

But counsel for E&P informed the court that the company has fully paid off the outstanding amounts due SSNIT.