|
Birth and death registration is compulsory - official
Tema, Oct. 16, Ghanadot/GNA - Every any birth or death that
occurs within the borders of Ghana is requested by law to be
registered, the authorities have said.
Mr Stephen Amoah, Greater Accra Registrar of Birth and
Deaths, said registering births and death was important for
better national development planning, adding that the
process was not tedious to warrant any resort to the use of
backdoor services.
“Birth certificate contractors only prey on the ignorance of
the public and succeed in producing fake certificates,” he
said at the launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of
the Tema Metropolitan Assembly Birth and Death Registry.
He said currently, the Registry has attached officers to
Passport Offices to identify fake certificates, adding that
Embassies in Ghana were also equipped to detect such
counterfeits and would accordingly reject them.
He said a nationwide Community Birth Registration Programme,
which was being piloted in 21 communities in the Upper West,
Upper East and Central Regions, would soon take off subject
to the availability of funds.
Currently, birth and deaths registry are operating in 138
districts, with 394 registration centres nationwide,
including offices at health centres.
”As such it should not be difficult for parents to register
their babies,” he said, adding that registration of children
aged up to one year is free while the same incentive goes
for death registration within seven days of occurrence.
He called on Parliament to review the relevant legislation
to make it obligatory for employers and educational
institutions to insist on birth certificates of prospective
applicants.
Mr Kingsley Asare Addo, Senior Assistant Regional Registrar
said Ghana would have a universal register of births and
deaths by the year 2015, adding that the process had already
started.
He urged the public to desist from burying their deceased
without registering them.
Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Mantse, who chaired the launching,
presented himself for his birth records to be taken.
GNA
|
