Paper shortage hits Births and Deaths Registry

The Births and Deaths Registry is short of the special security paper used for printing birth certificates, leaving applicants frustrated.

Amid the anxiety created by the lull, the Registry has attributed the nationwide shortage of the extract to bureaucratic bottlenecks in the public procurement system.

The Project Director of the Registry, Emmanuel Nortey Botchway, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that there had been general delays in restocking essential materials for nearly two months.

He said the registry submitted a request for the special paper to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) about two months ago but the process required for approval and delivery had been slow, resulting in the disruption of services.

“We placed the request early, but the approvals, clearance, and delivery procedures are quite lengthy. We are following up on a daily basis and have been assured that the processes are far advanced. We’re hopeful the paper will arrive soon,”  Mr Botchway said.

Only certified copies affected

He, however, clarified that the shortage did not affect the initial registration of births and deaths as well as the issuance of standard certificates, which continued to be processed and printed in all regional and district offices.

“People can still register births and deaths as usual. What we currently cannot issue are the certified true copies, which are printed on special security paper,” Mr Botchway explained.

Extract

He explained that the extract was a high-security stationery embedded with special features such as holograms, serial numbers, and anti-counterfeit codes that made the documents legally recognised, both locally and internationally.

Due to its sensitive nature, he said the paper was subjected to strict controls and could only be procured through approved government channels.

“It is often imported and managed under tight inventory to prevent misuse or forgery,” he said.

“This isn’t the kind of paper we can buy off the shelf.

The procurement has to follow state protocols, especially since we’re dealing with vital identity documents.

Unfortunately, these controls also come with delays when stocks run out,” he said.

Assurances

He indicated that the registry remained committed to transparency and assured the public that once the paper arrived, operations would return to normal.

In addition, applicants who have completed registration and verification will receive their certified copies retroactively, without needing to reapply.

“We want to assure the public that no one will be left behind.

As soon as the paper arrives, we will begin printing and issuing certificates to everyone in the queue,”  he assured.

Mass mobile registration

Mr Botchway also mentioned that in July, this year, the registry will begin a nationwide mobile registration exercise aimed at increasing access to civil registration in underserved communities.

Equipped with mobile tablets and printers, he said the teams would visit communities on a scheduled basis, recording information and issuing standard certificates.

He said the effort was in support of the country’s broader digital transformation agenda, ensuring more citizens were included in national databases such as the National Identification System.

Ambitious targets

Despite the current setback, he said the Registry was pursuing ambitious targets for this year, aiming to register 801,935 births across the country by the end of the year.

“That is what we are expecting. By December, we are expecting this number of children to be born and our objective is that we should also be able to capture and issue birth certificates for free for all these children,” he said.

As of March this year, he said only 129,161 births, representing 16 per cent of the target, had been registered.

In terms of registration of deaths, he said the Registry was expecting to record 143,484 deaths by the end of the year.

However, only 13,043 had been registered as of March.

“It’s not that people are not dying; people are dying, but we are unable to register the deaths.

People have access to burial grounds to bury without the relevant documentation.

Where you find relevant documentation are controlled cemeteries like Awudome and Osu,” he said.

GraphicOnline