The mass registration exercise of the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the Greater Accra Region has ended, capturing over 1.9 million (1,972,692) qualified Ghanaians.
It comprises institutional, pilot and mass registration exercises conducted in the region since the commencement of the exercise.
A total of 581,767 cards were not printed instantly due largely to connectivity problems.
NIA estimated to register two million (2,039,277) in the Greater Accra Region, but ended up registering 1.9 million (1,972,692), a shortfall of 66,585.
The exercise began in the Accra West Zone on Monday, April 29, 2019 and ended in the Accra East Zone on Saturday, July 6, 2019.
Outstanding cards printed
Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Francis Palmdeti, Head of Corporate Affairs, told The Finder that cards that were not printed instantly have been printed and are ready to be distributed to applicants at specified locations.
Accra West Zone
He explained that 56 card collection centres were created and started operating from May 31, 2019 in all the 14 municipalities where registration for the Ghana Card took place.
According to him, printed cards have been dispatched to the designated collection centres, and applicants whose cards are ready for collection are informed via phone calls and text messages.
Accra East Zone
“From Monday, July 8, 2019 till Saturday, July 13, 2019, all registration centres within the Accra East Zone will be opened for purposes of card issuance only and not registration.
“Applicants whose cards are ready for collection will be informed via phone calls and short message service (SMS) text messages,” he added.
Revision of registration timetable for Volta and Oti Regions
ACI Palmdeti stated that registration in the Volta Region would now commence from Monday, July 22, till Thursday, August 22, 2019, instead of the earlier advertised date of July 15 to August 1, 2019.
Similarly, he said registration in the Oti Region would also commence on Thursday, August 22, till Sunday, September 22, 2019, instead of July 15 to August 1, 2019 as previously announced.
The Head of Corporate Affairs said NIA took the decision to adjust the scheduled dates for the Volta and Oti regions due to reasons such as insufficient number of equipment required for full-scale deployment and simultaneous registration in both regions.
Also, he noted that a select number of registration equipment is currently being used at Card Collection Centres in the Accra West Zone.
Similarly, he stated, the Accra East Zone would also require a select number of registration equipment for the issuance of backlog Ghana Cards.
ACI Palmdeti reiterated that applicants who are unable to register during the mass registration exercise would not be required to pay any money as was being rumoured.
He emphasised that the Ghana Card is free of charge to all first-time applicants during and after the mass registration exercise.
The rollout of the Ghana Card is a collaboration between the NIA and Identity Management Systems (IMS), a subsidiary of Margins Group, an indigenous identity, security and transaction solutions provider.
Single ID card
The card would replace the sectorial identity cards in circulation and shall be the only card to be used in transactions where identification is required as provided by law.
For every mobile registration work station, there would be interviewer, an assistant to the interviewer, mobile registration work station operator, and card verification officer.
Documents required for registration
Anyone who wants to register has a duty to provide basic information, and digital address code is one of them.
The primary documents required are a birth certificate or a valid passport. However, existing Ghana Card holders can also use it in place of birth certificate or a valid passport.
Vouching for people
This vouching process is made on oath before a Commissioner of Oath.
When a citizen has neither of these documents, the person can be vouched for by one relative who has been registered and issued with the card or by two people who are not relatives but who know the person and have been registered and issued ID cards.
Non-compulsory documents ID cards
Aside the compulsory documents, which can be either a birth certificate or passport, registrants who have all or some of the following documents – driver’s licence, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) card, National Health Insurance (NHIS) card, and Tax Identification Number (TIN) number – are required to carry them along.
NIA will make an electronic copy and return them to the owner, and NIA would use the electronic versions as part of the person’s identity records purposes of data integration and harmonisation.
Tactile feature
The new Ghana Card has been designed to assist compatriots with visual challenges to be able to use it, using a tactile feature on the card.
ID card can be used as passport across ECOWAS
Another new feature of the card is that it has the logos of the passport of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on it, which allows for it to be used in place of a passport across ECOWAS member countries.
ID card to be linked to one’s bank account
Apart from it being a national identification card, it would also be linked to one’s bank account, to enhance modern payment systems.
ID card to last 10 years
The new ID card is expected to have a lifespan of 10 years, after which it will be renewable at a fee to be determined by the authority.
Source: The Finder
