Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafua, Executive Secretary for the NIA (left) addressing the media
Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafua, Executive Secretary for the National Identification Authority (NIA) has revealed that the Authority has so far registered a total of 7,227,939 eligible Ghanaians.
He added that the NIA had also printed 6,282,192 cards and issued cards to 4,173,173 qualified Ghanaians.
According to him, the NIA piloted the registration exercise through institutional and community registration from June 4, 2018 to April 2018, 2019, resulting in significant improvements to the technical system.
Prof Attafuah revealed this when he briefed the media on a rolled-out plan for the mass registration exercise of all qualified Ghanaians residing in the Western, Western North and the Central regions onto the National Identity Register and to be issued with the Ghana Card.
He announced that the registration in the three regions would take place in 47 districts and would start from Monday,January 27, 2020 to Tuesday, February 18, 2020.
He stressed that the registration was opened to only Ghanaians aged 15 years and above and residents in the aforementioned districts, adding, “The registration is free of charge.”
He, therefore, warned applicants not to pay or give money to any officials of the NIA before, during or after the registration process and that any attempts to do so would be considered as a bribe which was criminal.
He explained that the NIA was mandated to develop a national biometric repository of Ghanaians at home and abroad and foreigners resident in Ghana.
He said it was also to provide a biometric verification service to all user agencies such as the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) among others.
He mentioned some of the requirements for the registration as state identity documents or ID cards such as Drivers licence, Voter ID card, National Health Insurance card, SSNIT Biometric card, Passport and Tax Identification Number (TIN).
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi