New voters’ register: Ghana would be saving GHS173m – EC reveals
- The EC has revealed that the country stands to save over GHS173.07 million should a new voters’ register be compiled ahead of the 2020 elections
- According to the Electioneering body, procuring a fresh Biometric Voter Management System (BVMS) is less costly than upgrading the current register
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The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has revealed that the country stands to save over GHS173.07m should a new voters’ register be compiled ahead of the 2020 general elections.
According to the EC procuring a fresh Biometric Voter Management System (BVMS) is less costly than upgrading the current register as many concerned bodies and outfits are clamouring for.
Speaking at a media briefing, IT consultant to the EC, Dr. Yaw Ofori-Adjei said the commission would incur GHS107.25 million to furnish the existing data centre but would only need GHS39.51 million for what they are suggesting.
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Dr. Ofori-Adjei said that keeping the old biometric system would cost $74.36 million as compared to the $56 million needed to acquire a new system which includes Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits and the Biometric Verification Devices (BVD).
Per the data, the total cost of using the old BVR system for the 2020 election is $38, 692,500.00 for the refurbishment of some BVR kits used in 2016 and the acquisition of new ones.
The total number of kits used in the 2016 registration was 5,500 while the number of kits that were refurbished was 1,500 with a $3500 unit cost of refurbishment making the total cost of refurbishment at $5,250,000.
However, for the new system, the number of BVR kits required for the 2020 election is 8,000 at a unit cost of $3,000.00, pegged at a total cost for the new BVR at $24,000,000.
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In other news, presidential candidate on the ticket of the Liberal Party of Ghana(LPG), Kofi Akpaloo has promised to initiate a social intervention policy dubbed ‘Child Benefit’.
This, according to him, it would help meet the needs of Ghanaian children if given the nod to govern the nation.
“The Party intends to pay GH¢200 monthly stipend to every Ghanaian child from age one to 18, while twins will receive GH¢300.00.”
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), John Amekah, the National Chairman of the Party, said that lack of child welfare policy exposed children to various harmful practices and it was time the nation prioritised children’s welfare.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
