Mrs. E. Owiredu-Gyampoh, Registrar-General, has noted that more Ghanaians have adopted registration of marriages to church weddings in recent times due to the cost involved with the latter.
She said marriage registration has increased from an average of 161 monthly in 1998 to 184 at the end of last year. It is expected to continue increasing this year as January and February recorded a total of 557.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mrs Owiredu-Gyampoh said 1,931 marriages were registered in 1998. This increased to 1,972 in 1999 and 2,200 for last year.
She said registration of a marriage costs less than 100,000 cedis for the whole process, which involves filing of notice at a Metropolitan Assembly, publication, issuing of a licence as the basis for the registration at the Registrar-General’s Department. Mrs Owiredu-Gyampoh said that upon satisfying the requirements at the department a certificate of Registration of Marriage is issued to the couple.
Marriages are registered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during normal working hours in the presence of witnesses.
The Registrar-General explained that the registration of marriages was preferred to church marriages by many couples because it involves less time and expenditure.
