President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed that the National Identification cards issued by the National Identification Authority (NIA) will soon become an integral part of the lives of each and every Ghanaian.
On his authority, the National Identification numbers of Ghanaians will also serve as their Tax Identification Numbers (TIN). He noted that in effect, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will now expand their tax net from 3 million people to over 15.5 million. “The increase to 15.5 million in 4 years is a phenomenal feat”, he stated.
Not ending with the integration of the TIN into the National ID, President Akufo-Addo further disclosed that within the 2nd quarter of 2021, the National ID will also become the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) numbers of Ghanaians. He believes with this step, citizens will have the opportunity to start contributing to the Trust immediately they reach the appropriate age and are gainfully employed.
Delivering the State of the Nation Address to the 8th Parliament, the President also added that the National ID will also be used by Ghanaians as their National Health Insurance, birth certificates, passports and driver’s license.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) completed the nationwide mass registration and the mop-up exercises with the issuance of 13,848,697 cards to Ghanaians, home and abroad, as well as foreign nationals with residence permits in Ghana.
The exercise, which began in the Greater Accra Region on April 29, 2019, saw a total enrolment of 15,549,242, out of which 14,689,672 cards were printed.
By: Joel Sanco
