Story: News DESK
The National Identification Authority (NIA), has hinted that without the Ghana card, it would be difficult to transact any business in Ghana soon.
According to the Head of Corporate Affairs of NIA, Abudu Abdul-Ganiyu, this is because Ghana is getting to a point where a National Identity Card would be used when and where identification is required.
“We are at a point where if you look at the mandatory uses of the Ghana Card per the National Identification Register 2012, there are 14 mandatory uses aside other uses that you can put the Ghana card to. What that means is that we are gradually getting to a point where if you don’t have a Ghana card, it will be very difficult for you to seek any type of transaction in this country”, according to Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu.
He disclosed this in an interview with GTV which was monitored by Today.
Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu‘s comments came on the back of the current National SIM Card re-registration.
Re-Registration of SIM cards are ongoing across the country. In regard to the exercise, only the National Identity Card (Ghana Card) issued to an individual, by the NIA is being used for registration of SIM cards.
Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu said the NIA would open its regional and district offices across the country by the end of October 2021 to increase registration centres and access to the Ghana card.
“We have 34 registration centres that are located in 34 offices of the GRA across the country and if you go to any of these places, you would be able to register your Ghana card for free. Going forward by the end of October, we should also open regional and district offices and once you go there, registration there would be free,” he stated on Thursday, October 7, 2021.
He indicated that the re-registration is free for Ghanaians.
“This is a premium registration centre so when you walk in, you are supposed to pay ¢250 if you want to be registered here. We also have other registration centres that if you go to any of those centres you go through the process without paying any money. These are the services that we are providing. As long as it’s the first time registration for a Ghanaian it is free, it’s only when you go to a premium centre that you pay ¢250,” he noted.
He touted Ghana’s identification system as one of the best in the world and Africa.
“We have one of the best National identification systems in the world. Apart from the National Identification Authority itself, the partner in the PPP arrangement for instance is about the best that you can find on the African continent. The system is robust, we have proven technology that assures all Ghanaians that the database is secured and at the end of the day, we continue to improve in terms of technology to be able to stay ahead of fraudsters and to be abreast with existing technology at all times.”
He assured that with the new SIM Card registration using the Ghana card, everyone will be properly identified and traced in Ghana.
“If you look at the mandatory uses of the Ghana Card, one of them is to be able to use a national identification card for the purpose of SIM Card registration, but in the past, we didn’t have a National ID in place. There were a plethora of identity cards that were used for that particular purpose. Now that we have successfully built a comprehensive national identification database, there will surely be a need for us to go through this process. Then all of us are assured that everyone using a SIM Card in this country can be properly identified and traced”, he noted.
