The Government has announced that biometric verification will now be mandatory for the authentication of the Ghana Card, a move aimed at strengthening identity verification and reducing fraud in both public and private sector transactions.
The directive was announced by the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, who said the new requirement is intended to improve the integrity of the national identification system and ensure that the rightful holder of a Ghana Card is the one using it.
According to the Minister, institutions will no longer rely solely on the physical presentation or photocopy of the Ghana Card to confirm a person’s identity. Instead, verification must be carried out through the cardholder’s biometric data before services or transactions are completed.
He explained that the measure is expected to curb identity theft, impersonation and other fraudulent activities that have emerged through the misuse of national identity cards.
The Minister urged public institutions, financial service providers, telecommunications companies and other organisations that depend on identity verification to comply with the new directive and integrate biometric authentication into their operations.
Security analysts have welcomed the policy, describing it as a timely step towards protecting personal identity and strengthening confidence in Ghana’s digital identification system. They, however, stressed the need for reliable verification infrastructure and public education to ensure a smooth nationwide rollout.
The introduction of mandatory biometric verification forms part of broader government efforts to enhance national security, improve digital governance and safeguard the credibility of the Ghana Card as the country’s primary means of identification.
BY GBEDEVI DORCAS SELORM