Cost of premium service for Ghana card is outrageous – NPP Communicator

The cost of the premium services charged by the National Identification Authority (NIA) has been described as outrageous by a communicator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bobo Region.

Although Joshua Asante has no objections to the NIA charging for premium services, he believes the costs should be revised.

In a statement signed by the NIA’s Ag. Head of Corporate Affairs, Col. Peter Kwame Ghansah (Rtd) on June 11, 2023, it was revealed that the National Identification Authority (NIA) has offered 5 additional premium registration centres to the existing ones, effective Monday, June 12th, 2023, indicating that the premium registration centres will offer first-time registration and issuance of a Ghana Card at a cost of Gh280.00 and a cost of Gh110 for replacement of missing cards.

Reacting, the NPP communicator stated that the establishment of Premium registration centres in order to get more people enrolled in the Ghana cards system is a genuine idea, but he pleaded with the authority to review the charges against the programme, which he described as excessive and will impede the smooth operation of the entire programme.

Joshua Asante added that the National Identification Authority ensured mass and cluster registration of Ghana Cards during the initial stages of registration, and several people received their cards but others could also not get theirs due to technical difficulties.

He stated that "the premium services would enable many people, particularly those who do not have a Ghana card, to obtain one. The premium service is excellent, but I am requesting that the price be reduced. You cannot currently conduct any financial transactions without your Ghana card. That is why I am pleading with them to reduce the fee so that more people can apply for the Ghana card”.

He also advised Ghanaians to keep their Ghanacards safe in order to avoid having to pay to replace them if they were damaged.

He slammed the NDC for politicising the registration process, despite the fact that they were the first group of people to register.

He concluded by urging the NIA not to place too much emphasis on premium services, which would deprive those who could not afford them of the opportunity to obtain them.