Photocopying Ghana Cards For Transactions Now Illegal

With the implementation of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2111, it is now illegal to photocopy or visually inspect a Ghana card in order to undertake transactions.

The prior method of using photocopies or visual inspection of the Ghana Card has been replaced by biometric verification, which is now required for identity verification in transactions under the new legislation.

The new law, which was presented to Parliament three months ago and gazetted on Wednesday, July 15, imposes penalties on noncompliant persons and institutions.

The new provisions state that an organization that violates the regulations is guilty of an offence and faces a fine of at least 500 penalty units and up to 2,000 penalty units upon summary conviction.

Penalties for violators can range from 50 to 500 penalty units.

In the upcoming days, the Minister in charge of the National Identification Authority (NIA) is anticipated to speak to the public about the application and enforcement of the revised legislation.

Meanwhile, it has been recommended that businesses interested in integrating with the NIA's Identity Verification Platform apply for onboarding by contacting the Authority via its approved verification channel.

The Ghana Card's use is governed by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2111, often referred to as the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012.

It legally mandates that the Ghana Card be presented and authenticated for both private and public transactions in Ghana.

According to this law, the Ghana Card is necessary for a number of essential actions, such as registering to vote, opening and using bank accounts, buying and registering mobile SIM cards, and using public institution services.

The Ghana Card will continue to be the main and exclusive official form of national identification thanks to L.I. 2111.

Recent changes to the legislation also severely penalise organisations or people that use photocopies or visual inspections of the card rather than the required biometric verification