Owners of basic and second cycle private schools across Ghana are requesting for a suspension of their quota of SSNIT contributions for their employees’ social security following the closure of schools on the back of coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The schools, which form the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), say the closure of schools has had dire consequences on their finances to the extent that payment of salaries of the thousands of employees have become a problem.
President Nana Akufo-Addo on March 16 ordered the closures of all schools in the country as the number of coronavirus cases began to rise. The move was part of raft measures taken by the government to stop the spread of the virus which has so far infected 313 people in Ghana.
According to the school owners, they have not been able to retrieve all outstanding school fees for the term from parents and guardians due to the closure.
“At the time the school lockdown was announced, many private schools had not fully retrieved their school fees from parents/guardians,” a statement issued by the acting GNAPS President, Dr Damasus Tuurosong said.
They said the sudden school lockdown caught many managers of private schools unawares “with dire consequences on their finances”.
In their current circumstance, GNAPS said their members are not only “unable to pay their employees’ salaries, many cannot make statutory payments in respect of SSNIT”.
“It is in respect of the difficulties that pre tertiary private school managers are encountering in making statutory payments that we appeal to your good offices to come to our aid and save our businesses from eminent collapse,” they said.
They are accordingly appealing for a suspension of the payment of the employer’s contribution to the SSNIT for private school employees for April salaries “until schools resume for academic work”.
GNAPS assured that their members will “promptly honour their SSNIT payments” immediately schools resume.
By 3news.com|Ghana