The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has announced that government has fully cleared all outstanding pension contribution arrears, marking a significant improvement in the state’s compliance with its social security obligations.
Director-General of SSNIT, Kwasi Afreh Biney, disclosed that the government settled the entire GH¢1.05 billion owed to the pension scheme for 2024 by the end of March 2025, leaving no arrears outstanding.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition, Mr. Biney said the payments were made predominantly in cash, reflecting government’s commitment to meeting its obligations to the pension fund.
“More than 70 per cent of the payments have been cash,” he revealed.
According to him, the only exception occurred during the final quarter of 2024 when government used a short-term Treasury bill instrument to cover contributions for October, November and December.
“The only time there was an instrument was from October to December last year. It was a Treasury bill maturing this year,” he explained.
Mr. Biney noted that apart from that arrangement, all payments from last year to date had been made directly in cash.
The SSNIT Director-General described the development as a major turnaround, particularly given the scale of arrears that had accumulated during the year.
“For 2024, the government owed GH¢1.05 billion, but by the end of March 2025, the government had paid that in cash,” he said.
He further disclosed that government entered 2025 without any outstanding contribution arrears, a situation he described as unprecedented in recent years.
“2025, there’s no arrears. We didn’t enter with any arrears,” he stated.
Beyond clearing the debt, government also made advance payments towards future obligations, a move SSNIT says demonstrates a proactive approach to pension contribution management.
Mr. Biney explained that employers are generally required to remit contributions by the 14th day of the following month. However, government made part payment of contributions due for December 2025 before the end of that year.
“Government in December last year actually made part payment of the bill that would be due in January,” he disclosed.
As a result, government entered January 2026 owing only a portion of the December contribution, a development the SSNIT boss described as unprecedented.
“That had never happened before,” he said.
The latest figures suggest improved fiscal discipline in the management of pension contributions and provide reassurance to contributors about the sustainability of the social security scheme.
With no outstanding arrears and some payments made in advance, SSNIT says the government’s current contribution record represents a significant departure from previous years when delays in remittances posed challenges for the pension fund.
