Finance Minister Inaugurates GSS and NIA Boards

Accra, June 29, GNA – The Government has reiterated its commitment to

funding the cost of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, to be conducted

in March next year, to determine the actual number of people living in the

country in order to inform development decision making.

The exercise is estimated to cost about $48.9 million and would also provide

demographic and socio-economic data on all the districts to enhance planning at

all levels.
Speaking at the inauguration of a seven-member Board of Directors for the

Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Dr Kwabena Duffuor Finance Minister said the

government would make the resources available for the census and stressed the

need for the task to be carried out in a timeframe which would not have negative

impact on the quality.
He tasked the Board to work towards reform of the GSS to enable it to play

its role adequately in the National Statistical System.

One of the key reform actions, the Minister said, was to review and revise the

legal framework of the GSS in order to enhance its co-ordination role across the

National Statistical System and to define its responsibilities vis-à-vis the National

Development Planning Commission, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and

the Policy Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, which had been established in the

office of the President.
Meanwhile, the Minister has also inaugurated the Board of the National

Identification Authority, which is mandated to register Ghanaians home and

abroad and foreign nationals resident in Ghana by generating unique identifiers

for them, issue national identity cards and verify and authenticate identity search

requests from public and private institutions.
The Minister said a key goal of the National Identification System was to

strengthen public confidence in the business environment by ensuring that

transactions were efficient, secure, reliable and trustworthy.

It will in addition help to minimize identity fraud and improve crime control.

He commended the Authority for the progress made in construction of the

National Data Centre, installation of equipment for data processing and card

printing and the mass registration exercise in Central, Western, Eastern and Volta

Regions.
The NIA is yet to commence mass registration in the remaining six regions.

Dr Duffuor underscored the government's commitment to the successful

implementation of the National Identification System and urged the Board to

provide sound and effective policy direction for the success of the project.

The seven-member GSS Board is chaired by Professor Francis Dodoo while

the Chairman for the 10-member NIA Board is Larry Adjetey.

GNA