Distribution of cards to registered persons under the National Identification Scheme is more costly than thought, officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) have hinted.
Out of the 2.5m cards printed for persons in the Greater Accra Region, only 700,000 were distributed.
Other regions where the registration exercise took place are yet to have their cards printed due to lack of funds.
Speaking on TV3 News, Public Relations Officer of NIA Bertha Dzeble said the Authority has done all the necessary work to get the programme to continue. It is only awaiting a loan facility.
�We already have our strategy,� she said.
�We have personnel trained who will do the work,� she added.
According to her some of the equipment that were secured for the project to kick-start in 2008 have become obsolete.
�They are almost at the end of their life span and so we will have to change some of them,� Ms Dzeble hinted.
�But all of these are catered for under the loan facility and so we will be able to deliver very fast.�
The national registration exercise, which began in July, 2008, was expected to wrap up in 2009.
Nonetheless, after five years data on people in the three northern regions � Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions � are yet to be captured by officers.
Mass registration is scheduled in the three northern regions in March, 2013, Ms Dzeble said.
GH�6.8m is required for the exercise to successfully complete but only GH�4m has been allocated, she added.
The Authority has depended largely on Consolidated Funds.
Ms Dzeble, however, says NIA will strategize to get printed cards to registered persons.
�We have been strategizing to get the cards to people. It is because we have taken it upon ourselves to bring the cards as close as possible to their doorsteps and so we still want to continue in that direction and make sure that we get people to collect their ID cards.�
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