Government kick-starts national identification scheme

The government has set up four committees to kick-start the process of implementing a comprehensive national identification project.

A statement signed and issued by the acting Director of Communication at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, listed the four committees to spearhead the project as the Legal, Technical, Financial and Oversight committees.

The project, which is expected to be completed within the first year of the NPP administration, is in fulfilment of a manifesto pledge to complete the registration of all residents of Ghana under the National Identification Scheme (NIS).

Data warehouse

The project will lead to the establishment of an integrated Data Warehouse of databases from key public institutions, using the NIS as the unique identifier for data items and automating the processes involved in accessing public services at both national and local government offices.

The statement said the “NPP government is convinced the NIS will help formalise the economy through the establishment of a national database, using the NIS as the primary identifier, with linkages to the databases of institutions such as the police, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Passport Office, Immigration, the courts, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).”

Major stakeholders

A consultative meeting chaired by the Vice-President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, last Wednesday underscored the need to have a single national database to aid policy planning and implementation.

It was attended by representatives from all the major stakeholders, including the Births and Deaths Registry (BDR), the National Identification Authority (NIA), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the GRA and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

Also in attendance were officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Minister designate for Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful; the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Electoral Commission (EC), the DVLA, the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS) and industry experts.

Single national ID

Addressing the meeting, Alhaji Dr Bawumia noted that there had been too much talk around the issue of national ID cards “but very little effective action or results, even though $50 million has been spent on the project  since 2009.”

He said he was of the belief that a single national ID system would, among other things, track the immunisation of children and health care for citizens, issue drivers’ licences and passports linked to a digital identity registry, eliminate ghost names from the Civil Service payroll and reduce the cost of maintaining multiple identity databases.