Head of Department of Corporate Affairs at the National Identification Authority (NIA), Mr Abdul-Ganiyu, has disclosed that the long queues witnessed at the various Ghana Card registration centres will ease by the end of October.
According to him, the challenges faced by applicants for the Ghana Card, causing long queues is as a result of the decision by people to secure the Ghana Card for use as a requirement for reregistration of SIM cards.
“As an institution, that has been created, established for purposes of identity management, we should become a fully-fledged national institution where we have presence across all regions and across all districts of our country. So that, people do not have to hustle in terms of going out to register. So, we’re looking forward to doing that by end of October, when all the district and regional offices would have been established”.
Mr Abdul-Ganiyu
Mr Ganiyu explained that the Authority has instituted measures to operate an office in all districts in the country. With this, he expects, that these offices at the district level, once they commence operations will cater to the teeming number of people who form queues to acquire their cards.
“Everyone uses a sim card. So, you now have that population who have not yet registered, going out and these are the long queues that we are currently observing at registration centres”.
Mr Abdul-Ganiyu
All other persons, Mr Ganiyu explained, who have registered over the period, and have still not gotten their cards would have to wait until the regional and district offices are operational to begin issuance.
“We are looking at towards the end of October. So early November, all the offices should have been opened. We’re talking about 275 of them, in addition to 16 regional offices. If you happen to have registered in a particular district, that is where we would take your cards to”.
Mr Abdul-Ganiyu
Charging for Ghana card acquisition
Commenting on the acquisition of a Ghana card, Mr Ganiyu disclosed that charges on the cards have been approved by parliament, thus, the NIA is only implementing the law. He explained that the Ghana Card was issued without any charges during the mass registration last year because the ordinary Ghanaian could not afford.
“There’s a partner in this whole project where a lot of money has been invested. And we’re looking at a 15-year cycle where some money would be recouped and the investment paid off to the partner”.
Mr Abdul-Ganiyu
The charges, which are part of the revenue model, he said, will cover any changes on the card that would lead to the printing of a new card, such as “correcting date of birth”.
“So, as long as any update would lead to the printing of a new card, you would pay the GHS30. The second thing is having lost a card. First of all, you go to the police station, get what we call a police extract, then you come to the NIA. NIA is able to replace that card for you at a cost of GHS30. Then we have the premium registration; GHS250 for someone who has not yet registered for the Ghana Card at all. Once you come to the premium centre, then you pay GHS250”.
Mr Abdul-Ganiyu
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