The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced it will begin registration and issuance of Ghana Cards to fresh applicants aged 15 years and above on Monday August 28, 2023.
“This service will be available to such qualified applicants at eight (8) out of NIA’s 16 Regional Regional Offices and all 276 District Offices of the NIA nationwide”, a statement from the NIA disclosed.
The office noted that, resumption of the registration exercise has become possible due to NIA’s receipt of 484,000 blank cards from its technical partners, Identity Management Systems II Limited (IMS II) and CalBank PLC following an initiative by the Ministry of Finance.
By this development, eligible Ghanaians who have not yet registered for the Ghana Card can do so.
According to the NIA the registration process will be carried out in two phases to allow a smooth and well organized exercise during the period.
Giving details of the first phase of the exercise, NIA said, it will last a total of ten (10) working days beginning on Monday, 28th August 2023 and end on Friday, 8th September 2023.
“This phase will be reserved exclusively for Public Sector Workers on the GoG payroll who are yet to register for the Ghana Card.
The objective is to ensure that such workers are enabled to be verified with their Ghana Card on the payroll system of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
The 10-day registration exercise will focus exclusively on the said Public Sector Workers who will be applying for the Ghana Card for the first time”.
“All such prospective applicants will be required to provide their July 2023 Payslips in addition to meeting the mandatory registration requirements.
NIA will only accept and use for the registration the name of the Public Sector Worker as captured on the July 2023 Payslip of an applicant”, the NIA emphasized.
Additionally, phase two which is an open registration will begin on Monday, 11th September 2023 for all Ghanaians aged 15 years and above who have not yet applied for the Ghana Card.
“During Phase Two, Ghanaians wishing to replace their lost, stolen or damaged Ghana Cards or to correct their names or dates of birth may do so in accordance with law at any of the NIA’s 286 Operational Offices nationwide offering the free registration”.
The NIA is therefore encouraging Ghanaians to take part in this registration exercise as the Ghana card serves as the sole mandatory document for the identification of citizens seeking to engage in various commercial transactions or to access a wide range of public and private services in Ghana.
The NIA however noted that, while first-time registration for the Ghana Card will be free at all NIA’s offices, there is a statutory fee of GHS 34.50 for the replacement of a Ghana Card or for making changes in a person’s record (e.g., correction of name).
