Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Asamoah Boateng, has attributed the delay in implementing the much-touted National Identification System (NIS) to lack of funds.

He said in an interview with The Chronicle in Cape Coast that the project, which would culminate in the issuance identity cards to all persons in the country, ''is seriously being hampered by lack of funds.''

''I am not quiet sure we would have the National Identification Card before this year’s elections.''

Mr. Asamoah Boateng, who is the coordinator of the National Economic Dialogue, under whose auspices the project is being undertaken, said the original plan was to have it before the general election but it was obvious this could not happen because the country did not have money to start the project now.

The project is estimated to cost about $60 million but the deputy minister said companies that had expressed interest in bidding for it had agreed to pre-finance it. The government, he added, was studying and doing due diligence on the pre-financing proposal.

He mentioned nine companies as expressing interest. They include Talis Identification and Sagem from France, Hewlett Packard and Danis Consortium, Nikuff International from Israel and Kirim International from South Korea.

The NIS project seeks to create a National Data Base of citizens and non-citizens which, would among other things, feed the Electoral Commission with the correct figures on the number of voters and to provide a reliable data to help government in its policy formulation.

The project was originally expected to be implemented in three phases, with phase one covering all persons who would be 18 years and above by July 1, 2004 and to be completed by March 31, 2004.

The second phase would cover persons from six years to those under 18 years as at July 1,2004 and to be completed in two years after the end of phase one. Newly born babies and persons not registered in phase two would be captured under third phase as at March 2004.

Four categories of people to be registered under the NIS consist of all Ghanaians born and presently living in the country whiles the second grouping would consist of all Ghanaians born in the country and living abroad.

All Ghanaians born outside the country and are considered citizens of the country form the third category whereas foreign nationals legally residing in the country form the fourth category.