Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has assured the National Identification Authority (NIA) that the GHC20 million budget allocation will be released to enable the authority to go ahead with its operations in issuing Ghana Cards to the people.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, February 28, he assured that the government was ready to support the electoral process.
“We agreed on a hundred million cedi transfer and 80 million has been put into the accounts and 20 million will be done by the close of business today.
“We are very comfortable about the situation to ensure the needed cash will be given to the NIA to do its work,”Mr Ofori-Atta said.
He added “The government has been extremely good about funding elections and once the NIA’s job is liked to the elections, we can assure the House that the resources needed will always be provided.”
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has assured the National Identification Authority that the GHC20 million budget allocation will be released to enable it go ahead with its operations.#3NewsGH pic.twitter.com/LWC4IpxnXn
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) March 1, 2023
Officials of the NIA and the Electoral Commission (EC) were in Parliament on Tuesday to brief the House on the proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) that is seeking to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for voter registration.
The Chair of the EC Jean Mensa told Parliament that the use of the Ghana Card as the sole identification document for voter registration will ensure a credible voter roll.
She said it will also prevent minors and foreigners from getting onto the electoral register to vote.
Madam Jean Mensa said “The use of only Ghana Card will ensure and guarantee the credibility of the register and elections, prevent enrolment of minors, prevent foreigners from voting, eliminate the guarantor system which is prone to abuse.”
“The Ghana Card will not be used for voting in 2024, it will be used to register,” she said.
Regarding a revelation by Tamale South Member of Parliament Haruna Iddrisu that there were about 3.5million people without Ghana Crad, she said the National Identification Authority (NIA) has told the commission that ” there are 3.5 blank cards in the warehouse, money have been released and funds are being released.”
The Minority have been raising issues against the proposed CI.
By Laud Nartey|editors.3news.com|Ghana
