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- From Doubts to Digital: Ghana Card Sparks Hope for Transparent Tomorrow
In a bold stride towards a technologically advanced and corruption-free society, Mr Moses Kwesi Baiden, Chairman, Executive Director, and CEO of the Margins ID Group, has stressed the crucial role of both technology and public policy in shaping Ghana’s future.
Highlighting the significance of digital integration, Mr. Baiden emphasized that fostering a clean and empowered society transcends technology; it hinges on sound public policy, political determination, and the active participation of citizens.
Mr. Baiden’s remarks came during an exclusive dialogue session in Accra, where he showcased over three-decade journey of Margins ID Group in the identity solutions sector.
The Group has been a pivotal technical partner in Ghana’s groundbreaking national ID project, collaborating through its subsidiaries: Identity Management Systems; Identity Management Systems II; Intelligent Card Production Systems; and Margins ID Systems Applications Ltd.
At the heart of this initiative is the Ghana Card, a smart and secure multipurpose national ID card. This landmark project, executed in a Public-Private Partnership with the National Identification Authority (NIA), has already provided over 85 per cent of the country’s adult population with Ghana Cards, as of August 18, 2023.
The Ghana Card is heralded as a triumph over historical challenges rooted in multiple unverifiable identity registers, fraudulent data, and bio-data discrepancies. These issues have perpetuated inefficiencies such as inaccurate data structures, extensive human interference, manipulation, fraud, and uneven distribution of public resources.
The new national ID system, however, seeks to establish a singular source of truth grounded in legal identity, biometrics, and biostatistics. Experts assert that this foundation enables secure remote and real-time verification of individuals.
Crucially, the Ghana Card has been mandated for use in a wide array of transactions, ranging from passport applications and driver’s licenses to land registration, banking, NHIS services, pension disbursements, and tax payments. This concerted effort aims to streamline data systems, bolster e-government and e-commerce services, and foster financial and social inclusion.
Despite its potential benefits, public awareness and understanding of the Ghana Card’s significance remain uneven. Baiden lamented this skepticism, urging citizens to embrace the card’s potential or risk exclusion from the unfolding benefits.
As part of the drive towards a corruption-free society, various institutions have undertaken biometric verifications using the Ghana Card. These include banks, financial institutions, the Passport Office, SSNIT, GRA, DVLA, and more.
Notably, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department has announced a stringent policy to verify all government workers using the Ghana Card, effectively eradicating ‘ghost names’ from the payroll. This exemplifies the active enforcement of the card’s adoption.
Looking ahead, Ghana’s integration efforts are set to expand further. The Ghana Immigration Service will soon integrate with the Ghana Card system to facilitate seamless identity verification along the nation’s borders.
Additionally, the NHIS claims process is poised for transformation, ensuring verified claims only and potentially saving the country substantial funds. The Lands Commission is also preparing to utilize the Ghana Card to curb crimes and inefficiencies within the land administration sector.
NorvanReports can say that, Ghana’s journey towards a clean and empowered society is intricately woven with technology’s transformative power, strategic public policy, and the engagement of its citizens.
The Ghana Card stands as both symbol and instrument of this remarkable transformation, promising a future where digitization, transparency, and citizen participation converge to foster progress and prosperity.
Digital integration should be the way to go, because it helps both manufacturing and service industry in leveraging their strength in the current TOWS matrix environment for a successful breakout.