National ID Card Project On Track

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

26 April 2011

editorial

Tanzanians can now look forward to acquiring national identity cards soon, easing proof of citizenship. After several years of waiting, the government has finally picked a Malaysian firm for the Sh200 billion national identification project.We hope the implementation will be speeded up so that the people can enjoy the convenience of easy identification, as the majority have had difficulty in acquiring the alternative, which is the passport.

The national card project, first mooted in the early 1960s, has been on and off for various reasons – both political and financial. It was only revived last year, with the government listing it among its top priorities in the 2010/11 Budget.

The deal worth $149 million (about Sh200.2 billion) involves procurement, supply, design, implementation, testing, maintenance, support and commissioning of the national ID system based on the Smartcard technology. During the five-year deal, 25 million national identification cards will be produced for bona fide citizens.

The funds to roll out the project will come from the government and bank loans. The national ID is a vital means to enhance national security, as it makes it easier to identify Tanzanians from foreigners. This is because the issuance will be tightened to ensure that only qualified citizens get the document.

It is also a boon for individuals, as the proof of identity eases transactions even with banks. It is easier to access loans as the document is proof of the holders’ real identity, profession and will also contain the residential addresses.

Besides setting up a national ID registry system and database, the enrolment will be rolled out to 142 sites across the country.National registration is too important to be left to the designs of crooked politicians, and their associates, who in the past, have attempted to interfere so that they could personally gain from it.

This is a crucial national undertaking, which will provide accurate data on citizens who have attained the age of majority. The process must be strengthened and strictly monitored to ensure that foreigners do not sneak in, whatever their intentions.

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