The National Identification Authority is reported to have found itself in a desperate situation over the non-availability of blank cards for the printing and issuance of new Ghana Cards.

According to a report by 3news.com sighted by GhanaWeb, a supplier, Identity Management Systems Limited (IMS) has locked up a consignment of blank cards meant for the NIA due to indebtedness by the state institution.

“Since about August of last year, we have experienced financial constraints in the system and it created a situation where even though we have 3.5 million stock of cards in a bonded warehouse, we are unable to assess the cards because of financial difficulty,” Executive Secretary of the Authority Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah confirmed the development in a Joy FM interview on Saturday.

He was however optimistic that the situation will be dealt with very soon. According to him, government has cleared some of the debt and soon some cards will be released for printing.

The Electoral Commission put before parliament a Constitutional Instrument (CI) seeking to make the Ghana Card the solely required document of proof for voter registration ahead of the 2024 elections.

However, the minority in parliament has raised concerns about the move citing the inability of all eligible Ghanaians to get their cards in time for registration.

But according to Prof Attafuah, the NIA will print all the cards for registered Ghanaians even for those below 18 years once the issue of financing is dealt with.

GA/SARA