Under the upcoming National Identification System (NIDS), there will be a renewal period of every 10 years for adults and five years for children who get their cards at birth.

This is according to Floyd Green, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, who was responding to questions from justices of the peace in Manchester following his presentation on the soon-to-be rolled out NIDS.

Green, who was meeting with key stakeholders including students, the business community, and citizens of the parish, to answer questions about the new identification system, had been invited by Garfield Green, custos rotulorum for Manchester, to address key stakeholders at Church Teachers’ College on August 24.

‘DIGITALLY TRANSFORM OR BE LEFT BEHIND’

He said the world has become a digital landscape where people are so dependent on technological devices that “we can either digitally transform our society to keep apace or move fast to catch up with the digital transformation that is happening or be left behind”.

He noted that Barbadians and Estonians have had a national identification system for years, and in the former country, there is no need for JPs to verify citizens’ addresses or identity. In Estonia, the national identity card has eliminated long lines for basic services and citizens use them to vote online during national elections.

The use of national identity cards in other countries enables newborns to begin receiving state assistance even before they leave the hospital, because all relevant data is already captured in a central location, Green informed his audience.

“When we speak about the NIDS, we are speaking about a drive to ensure that Jamaica evolves, use innovation and creativity to have citizens think digital and use technology to make our lives easier,” Green said.

He noted that NIDS will make services more efficient and eliminate the need for citizens to travel into Kingston to transact business. It will enable better access to services.

Government has taken a holistic approach in preparation for NIDS, including giving more citizens access to the Internet – something that is being boosted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They introduced the Emergency Broadband Network, which connects all parish services like police stations, court houses, hospitals and schools via high-speed Internet.

“The plan over the next five to seven years is to establish a national broadband network right across the country to give citizens free Wi-Fi service, establishing more than 180 free spots across all parishes islandwide. We are looking at a broader picture to create a digital society,” Green said.

IDENTIFICATION TO BE A ONE-STEP PROCESS

Many Jamaicans use their voter’s ID for official purposes, but this form of identification eliminates people outside the voting age or those not wishing to participate in elections. Passports and drivers’ licences present the same hurdles at banks and other establishments, requiring additional verification – especially from Justices of the Peace (JPs). The NIDS will make identification a one-step process.

Enrolment sites are now being set up islandwide for voluntary registration. No new offices will be constructed, but underutilised spaces will be commissioned, including some 24 post offices. A pilot project will be carried out in Kingston and St. Andrew and a card production site is already up and running.

“The first enrolment site will be at the Central Sorting Office in Kingston with four more using post offices, so that we will be able to get challenges out of the way before the targeted roll out starting the first quarter of 2023. We have already gone to tender in parish capitals where sites will be set up. There will also be a retrofitted mobile office that will go to communities for enrolment,” Green said.