Local gov’t officials frustrating ID project

The Coordinator of the National Identification Cards (NIC), Pascal Nyamulinda, has lashed out at local sectors of frustrating the project saying that local government officials have caused many people not getting their electronic IDs in time. In an interview with The New Times, Nyamulinda, said that filled ID application forms are heaped at sectors across the country instead of transferring them to the headquarters for processing. “It takes over a month for those forms to be delivered here which prolongs the whole process,” Nyamulinda said. Many people, especially from upcountry, have raised several complaints that they have not received their IDs despite having filled application forms and having their photos taken. It takes over three months for them to receive their IDs and Nyamulinda said that civil registration officers, who are responsible for the project at sector levels, have not worked to their required standard. “It takes us less than 30 minutes to produce an ID to anyone who wants it urgently and less than a week to deliver them to all sectors across the country. If these leaders at sectors had delivered the same services I believe all those who registered should be having IDs.” Nyamulinda said. About 400,000 IDs are also said to be heaped at sectors across the country. “It is the responsibility of these leaders to inform their people that their IDs have arrived, which they have rarely done and a reason why many people are complaining,” Nyamulinda said. He revealed that over 4.9 million people that had so far received their electronic IDs. Meanwhile, over Rwf 3.6bn has been collected from both ID, and new driving licences since the projects began last year, with Rwf 2.25bn collected from IDs alone. Each person pays Rwf 500 for an ID and Rwf 50,000 form the electronic driving permits. 28,000 drivers have so far received their new licences. A total of about 70,000 drivers in the country are supposed to have got their new licences before the year ends as the old ones will be phased out of by December 31. Ends