The National Identification Authority (NIA) has disclosed that it is owed significant sums by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
According to NIA’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Kenneth Attafuah, the NHIA owes the Authority $58 million, while the GRA’s debt stands at GH₵288 million, with these amounts accumulating since 2020.
During his appearance before the Assurances Committee of Parliament on Monday, August 26, 2024, Prof. Attafuah explained that these financial challenges have hampered the NIA’s ability to print Ghana Cards for the public.
At present, 151,896 Ghana Cards are ready to be printed, but the NIA owes its technical partners.
Additionally, there is a backlog of 559,457 cards, with over 17 million already issued to the public.
Prof. Attafuah expressed the Authority’s readiness to print and issue all pending cards once these debts are settled.
He also mentioned that the NIA owes significant amounts to its partners, including Identity Management System Limited.
Earlier this year, some of NIA’s partners, such as Identity Management Systems, withheld over 3.5 million cards due to the government’s failure to clear its debts.
As of August 20, 2024, more than 18 million Ghanaians have been registered on the national identity register, with 17 million Ghana Cards printed to date.
