The over-burdened and under pressure Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is to operate lottery.

This is the message Messrs Parmaat Mehta and Joseph Ofori-Atta had for some workers of SIMMET Ghana Limited at a meeting last Wednesday between 11:00am to 3:00pm. The two were briefing the workers that notwithstanding the media reports, SSNIT was going to buy the company and absorb them into the operation of lottery to be run by SSNIT.

One of the reasons SSNIT has been asked to reveal how much they intend to pay for SIMMET as one of the credible reports floating around is that the purchase price has been inflated by as much as $3million (27billion). The reported purchase price, which SSNIT has refused to confirm or deny is $8million (72billion).

One of the issues discussed at the June 16, 2004 meeting between Messrs Mehta and Ofori-Atta is that some workers felt that they should be paid off because they were unsure of continued employment. The workers were assured that SSNIT would be operating a lottery and has agreed to absorb all of them.

They were assured that ?the media is blowing hot air.? A couple of workers have revealed that SSNIT workers had been to their various offices, including those in Accra and Abura Dunkwa, inspecting equipment. Some of the SSNIT workers were said to have been shocked at the poor site of some of the equipment.