The National Identification Authority (NIA) Executive Secretary, Prof. Kenneth Attafuah, has been ordered by Parliament to reimburse the Authority for more than GHc98,000 that was withheld as a fine for the tardy transfer of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions.
Due to its tardiness in remitting SSNIT contributions, the NIA used Authority funds to pay the fine. By the Auditor General’s recommendation, the Public Accounts Committee has confirmed that Prof. Ken Attafuah and the financial controller ought to bear an additional cost associated with the penalty.
The NIA’s Executive Secretary was given a month to repay the money during a Wednesday, February 7 appearance before the Public Accounts Committee.
It is advised that you return the money and that the Chief Executive and Financial Controller should do the same. The committee will not accept your explanation for why you did not pay the money you withheld from SSNIT, even though you have come to explain why.
“Therefore, the Auditor General’s recommendation remains unchanged: within a month, the Chief Executive and the Financial Controller should go refund the money to the Auditor General’s recovery account.”
In his defense, Prof. Kenneth Attafuah claimed that a lack of funding was the reason for the SSNIT contribution payment delay. The Authority gave salary payment priority over SSNIT contributions because of the limited resources available at the time, according to the NIA Executive Secretary.
“Mr. Chairman, the Authority is unable to pay SSNIT contributions on time for the temporary employees whose deductions have been made because the penalty payments were the consequence of postponing the release of funds.
From January to March 2022, the Authority owed money for the salaries of temporary employees. Funds for the first quarter were only made available on April 19, 2022. Additionally, the salary was settled quickly—in other words, it was given priority.
