Parliament has issued a firm directive to Prof. Kenneth Attafuah, the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), ordering the refund of over GHc98,000 deducted from the Authority’s account as a penalty for delayed transfer of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions.
The decision was made after the NIA failed to promptly remit SSNIT contributions, leading to the Authority using its own funds to cover the penalty.
The Public Accounts Committee, in alignment with the Auditor General’s recommendation, upheld that Prof. Ken Attafuah and the financial controller should bear the cost of the penalty.
During his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, February 7, Prof. Kenneth Attafuah was given a strict one-month deadline to reimburse the amount. The committee dismissed his explanation for the payment delay, insisting on adhering to the Auditor General’s recommendation.
In response, Prof. Kenneth Attafuah attributed the delay in SSNIT contributions to a lack of funds. He clarified that the Authority prioritized salary payments over SSNIT contributions due to limited resources available at the time.
