NIA misses registration schedule; process likely to start in 2018

Business News of Sunday, 19 November 2017

Source: citifmonline.com

2017-11-19

The National Identification Authority (NIA), is likely to extend the timeline set for it to begin registration of Ghanaians onto its database, and the instant issuance of the newly revamped National Identification card also known as Ghana card.

The project, which started under the Mahama government, was re-launched by President Akufo-Addo in September 2018, and was supposed to begin fresh registrations.

President Akufo-Addo received the first Ghana card.

NIA had targeted to complete the first phase of the registration exercise by October 15, 2017; but it seems this cannot be achieved following the delay in amending portions of the bill backing the project.

The National Identity Register (Amendment) Bill, 2017, was passed by parliament last week under a ‘certificate of urgency.’

Following the passage of the Amendment to the National Identity Register, the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) is expected to be laid in Parliament in the course of next week, to allow for 21 sitting days for the LI to mature to effectively bring the new law into existence.

Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority, Prof Ken Attafuah, in a Citi News interview, said they might begin the entire process by mid-January 2018.

“Parliament is a master of its own procedures –it can sit on Saturday or Sunday. Parliament is determined, you could tell from the tenure of the debate in the House that Parliament is unanimous and united in its understanding and expectation that this National Identification system project is critical for the development of this country, and that the amendments ought to pass. It is however a matter of procedure that A must happen before B.”

“Once that happens, I have every reasonable basis to expect that Parliament in its wisdom may find it necessary to meet on such days as to ensure that this amendment that we are seeking to the form is passed in time to enable us roll out before the end of this year. If that does not happen, worst case scenario, early January or mid-January 2018, we will roll out. But this is the only thing we are waiting for – the amendment to the form,” he added.