The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has officially launched its Membership Value Programme (MVP), a new initiative aimed at delivering everyday benefits to contributors and pensioners while supporting efforts to expand pension coverage, particularly among workers in Ghana’s informal sector.
Speaking at the launch, Director-General Kwesi Afreh Biney said the programme forms part of SSNIT’s broader transformation strategy to make the pension scheme more relevant, accessible and responsive to the changing needs of Ghanaian workers.
He said the MVP marks a shift in how the Trust engages contributors by extending value beyond retirement benefits.
“This is not just the launch of a product. It’s part of a broader transformation in how SSNIT sees its role and how we intend to serve the people of Ghana,” he said.
According to Kwesi Afreh Biney, the initiative builds on a series of reforms already undertaken by SSNIT, including the expansion of digital service channels, co-location partnerships with banks to improve accessibility, and the recent introduction of a telehealth service for pensioners.
He said while SSNIT’s core mandate of collecting contributions and paying pensions remains unchanged, contributors increasingly expect value throughout their working lives rather than only at retirement.
“If workers entrust SSNIT with their future security, then their membership should also feel valuable in the present,” he stated.
Under the MVP, members will gain access to a growing network of partner institutions offering discounts, products and services across key areas of daily life.
Kwesi Afreh Biney said the programme is designed to strengthen member engagement, improve the experience of belonging to the scheme and make SSNIT more attractive to workers who are yet to enrol.
He noted that the initiative is particularly significant as about 80 percent of Ghana’s working population operates outside the formal employment sector and the social security system.
“If social security is to expand rapidly and meaningfully in Ghana, it must speak to the realities of how people live and work today. It must be inclusive, accessible and compelling enough to join those who have not yet seen themselves in the formal pension system,” he said.
Kwesi Afreh Biney said the MVP supports the government’s broader economic transformation agenda by strengthening institutions, improving service delivery and making social security more relevant to citizens.
He stressed that the programme complements rather than replaces SSNIT’s statutory responsibility of providing retirement income security.
“Our responsibility remains to secure income in retirement and provide long-term protection for workers and their families. But we must pursue that mandate in a way that reflects the realities of modern work and the expectations of contributors, pensioners and prospective members,” he added
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As part of the programme, SSNIT announced Ecobank Ghana as its first strategic partner, with the bank introducing a co-branded prepaid Visa card for members.
Kwesi Afreh Biney disclosed that Ecobank has also committed to issuing the Visa cards free of charge to all SSNIT members and pensioners.
He also acknowledged the support of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and the Bank of Ghana in establishing the regulatory framework needed to implement the programme responsibly and at scale.
Kwesi Afreh Biney said the initiative also presents commercial opportunities for participating businesses, noting that SSNIT’s membership exceeds 2 million, with the Trust targeting the addition of more than 300,000 new members annually.
He encouraged employers to continue supporting compliance with the pension scheme and urged workers, particularly those in the informal economy and young entrants into the labour market, to join SSNIT.
“SSNIT is changing. We are building a scheme that not only secures your future, but increasingly delivers value in the present,” he said.
