The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced plans to issue new Smart cards for Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians who have registered under the Authority’s scheme.

The cards will be issued by the end of the year.

Public Relations Officer of NIA, Bertha Dzeble said incorporating a number of new features into the existing card would make their production more costly than printing a new one, hence the decision to issue the new smart card.

Of the 2.5m cards printed for persons in the Greater Accra Region, only 700,000 were distributed while other regions where the registration exercise took place are yet to have their cards printed due to lack of funds.

According to Mrs Dzeble, the new cards will be issued instantly to those who register at the various centres. Persons who have been registered already will however have to update their information to get their cards replaced or issued to them instantly.