The Ghana card is a national identity card launched in 2017 by National Identification Authority (NIA). The project was done in collaboration with Identity Management Systems (IMS), its subsidiary Margin Groupa leading provider of identity solutions in Ghana.
Margins Group was awarded the contract to manufacture and distribute the Ghana Card following a competitive bidding process.
About the company
Margins Group has been operating since 1990 and has a track record of providing identity management solutions to various clients in Ghana and beyond. Some of her notable works include producing it biometric passports, voter IDs, driver’s licenses, health insurance cards and SIM cards.
The company says it has invested heavily in state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, including a secure printing facility, a data center and a card personalization center.
The company also says it has employed over 2,000 staffincluding engineers, technicians, trainers and field agents, to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.
The uniqueness of the Ghana card
The Ghana Card has many features that make it unique and multi-functional. It has a capacity of 128 kilobytes that can store biometric data such as fingerprints, iris and facial images. It also has contact and non-contact interfaces that allow it to communicate with various devices and systems.
According to the NIA, the card will be used for transactions such as banking, paying taxes, registering voters and SIM cards, applying for and issuing passports, driving licenses and insurance policies, buying, transferring, and land registration, transactions under the NHIS, pensions, SSNIT and consumer credit, and any other transaction that the NIA may determine and gazette.
About the Ghana card contract
Under the contract, Margins Group will received $1.2 billion over 15 years for his delivery 89 million cardsas well as the provision of related equipment, software and services.
The contract also provides that the Margins Group will shares 20% of its revenue with the National Identification Authority (NIA), the government agency responsible for issuing the cards.
Challenges with the Ghana card
However, the Ghana Card project was not without its challenges and controversies. Some of the issues that have been raised include the high cost of the contract and some technical glitches.
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Margins Group has faced criticism by some civil society groups, opposition parties and the media, who questioned its transparency, accountability and competence.
The Margins Group has defended itself against these allegations, saying it has followed all due processes and standards required by contract and law.
Monetize Ghana Card
The revenue model on which the Project is based depends on the use of the Ghana Card for all transactions that require identity verification for Ghanaians to exercise their rights and obligations.
Margins Group monetizes the Ghana Card project by charge fees for card replacement, card personalization, card verification, and card authentication.
The company also earns revenue by providing technical support and maintenance services to NIA and other partner institutions that use the Ghana Card for their business.
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