He said it was an "important exercise" to help streamline identification and verification towards effective business transactions in the country and needed the support of traditional rulers.

Togbe Afede who was addressing members of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs during a general meeting in Ho, said the Card which would soon become a pre-requisite for major transactions had long been anticipated, and charged chiefs and opinion leaders to encourage their people to "take it seriously".

He also urged local authorities to sensitise the citizenry on the need to prepare their birth certificates and other required documents to enable them to be registered.Togbe Afede commended the Volta house for a positive balance sheet and promised to engage stakeholders on prompt payment of allocated funds.

Nana Alloh Soglo IV, Otekple of Likpe, and President of the Volta Regional House appealed to traditional authorities to ensure that births and deaths within their jurisdiction were registered.He said the age-old custom that prevented chiefs from being registered at births or deaths was out-dated and only made it difficult to validate claims of succession.