Ghana Parliament Moves to Biometric Attendance as 258 MPs Enrol
Speaker Alban Bagbin says Parliament will fully implement biometric attendance tracking during its new meeting, with 258 members already enrolled.
ACCRA, GHANA — Ghana's Parliament is moving toward full use of a biometric attendance system for Members of Parliament, replacing the circulation of the traditional register used to record attendance at sittings.
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin announced the initiative during his opening address on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament began.
According to the Speaker, 258 MPs had enrolled on the system by the time of the announcement. He encouraged other lawmakers to complete registration to avoid difficulties when attending parliamentary proceedings.
How the attendance system will work
Under the planned arrangement, lawmakers will register their presence using designated biometric consoles. Parliament expects the process to support more accurate and verifiable attendance records and reduce reliance on the manual signing procedure.
The Speaker said the manual attendance register would no longer be circulated for members to sign. The change forms part of wider efforts to modernise administrative operations and strengthen institutional transparency and accountability.
Attendance records can be relevant to public scrutiny of legislative work, but introducing a biometric system alone does not establish that attendance or legislative performance has improved. How it is operated, reviewed and reported will determine its practical value.
Further parliamentary upgrades
Parliament has also discussed broader technological improvements to its procedures, including future electronic voting arrangements. The timing and extent of any such additional rollout should be confirmed from subsequent official parliamentary notices.
The biometric attendance announcement marks a significant procedural change as the House resumes its work. Public information on the system's implementation and any remaining enrolment requirements will be important for assessing the transition.
Official institutional reference: Parliament of Ghana. https://www.parliament.gh/
GhanaCurrent aims for accurate, well-sourced reporting. We welcome corrections and distinguish advertising from editorial stories.