NIA begins mass Ghana card registration today
The National Identification Authority (NIA) will today, Monday, 29 April 2019 begin the mass registration of Ghanaians for the Ghana Card nationwide.
It starts in the Greater Accra Region today and ends in the Central Region on 31 March 2019.
The 85% of Ghanaians from 15 years and above, who have been targeted to be registered will be issued smart, dual-interface Ghana Cards.
Executive Secretary to the National Identification Authority, Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah told journalists on Thursday, 25 April 2019 that the Ghana Card will replace other cards in the system, and must be accepted by all institutions as valid ID cards.
Memoranda of Understanding, he said, have been signed with some state bodies such the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) among others so that they replace their industry-specific ID cards with the Ghana Card, as part of measures to save the country’s kitty.
He also said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed that the ECOWAS card be integrated into the Ghana card as one.
“Every Ghanaian, aged between zero to infinity, is to be registered and issued with the Ghana Card. Ghanaians living in Ghana will receive the card at no cost to the individual, while Ghanaians living outside the country will pay a fee for the card.”
“The card is valid for ten years, after which every citizen will be required to renew it at a fee. Replacement of the card upon loss or destruction at any time will also attract a fee”, Prof Attafuah said.
He, however, noted that children under 15 will only be registered after mass registration exercise is over. They will be issued with 2D bar-coded Ghana cards.
The registration of Ghanaians in the diaspora will be done in collaboration with the country’s missions abroad and the Office of the Diaspora Relations of the Presidency.
The registration will start from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day (excluding Sunday and Public holidays).
Over 7,000 temporary staff have been recruited and trained for the exercise.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
