Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that Ghana card numbers will soon be issued to newborns in Ghana.
In his address at the UPSA auditorium, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), outlined his visionary initiative to shape Ghana’s future. Dubbed ‘Ghana’s Next Chapter: Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions for the Future,’ his announcement focused on significant strategies he will deploy should he win the 2024 general elections.
Dr. Bawumia proudly declared that starting in the first quarter of 2024, newborns in the country will be assigned unique Ghana card numbers. The presidential candidate elucidated on the innovative approach, highlighting that while the number will be allocated shortly after birth, the physical Ghana card will be issued when the child reaches the age of six.
“Starting in this first quarter of 2024 (in fact I will launch this in a few weeks), newborn children will be given a Ghana card number but the actual card will be issued when the child is after age six when his or her the biometrics are fully formed” he stated.
The Ghana card holds personal details that enable constant identity verification. It includes essential identification information such as a photograph, name, date of birth, height, and a randomly generated personal identification number assigned to the holder, along with an expiration date. Additionally, the card serves as a documentation element.
Bawumia who has championed an agenda of digitisation also stressed the role of the initiative in curbing corruption and upholding transparency.
“Identity fraud, age cheating, football age, people cheating in their retirement age, fake birth certificates and fake passports, etc. will no longer be possible with the Ghana card,” he emphasised.
“Today, because your bank account or SIM card is linked with your Ghanacard, people cannot borrow money from a bank and disappear and appear with a new name as used to happen leading to higher interest rates.”
