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Jamaica is set to join several countries in creating a secure national identification system, with the proposed National Identification and Registration Act, 2020.
The Bill is now being reviewed by a Joint Select Committee of Parliament.
Jamaica’s national identification system (NIDS) will provide a comprehensive and secure structure to enable the collection and storage of identity information. This secure voluntary tool can also verify an individual’s identity, facilitate the electronic signing of documents and securely access a range of government services online.
Providing details on the system during recent virtual townhall sessions, Programme Director for the National Identification System (NIDS), Warren Vernon, said Jamaica is moving in the right direction to ensure the implementation of a secure national identification programme that is in line with what is happening in some of the most innovative countries in the world.
“The 2020 top eight most innovative economies in the world all implemented a national identification programme similar to what we are doing in Jamaica, to simplify processes and embrace innovation,” he said.
According to the Bloomberg Innovation Index, the 2020 top eight most innovative economies in the world are: Germany, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Finland and Denmark.
Mr. Vernon pointed out that those countries incorporate the use of technology to simplify processes. This, he said, places them in a position to deliver quality services.
He described the National Identification System as the “cornerstone and foundation” for improving security in Jamaica, slashing ID fraud and identity theft, offering better public services and cutting administration costs.
Enrolment under the NIDS is being targeted for commencement in September 2021.
“If we receive the legal framework by May, we will be in a position to start personalising the first card by September 2021,” Mr. Vernon projected, adding that “we have been doing a lot of work [to this end] in the background.”
He explained that the card and system will be the most secure ever implemented by the Government. The card is free for all Jamaicans; however, persons will be charged a fee for replacing it.
“We are spending a lot to improve the security framework. We are implementing, for the first time, a National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI), which will be the security backbone for the solution,” he informed.
The NPKI forms part of the non-NIDS component of the programme, which seeks to create a unique, reliable and secure method of verifying individuals’ identities.
The NPKI aims to make Jamaica a more digital society in which there is ubiquitous use of information and information and communications technology (ICT) in all spheres, such as the home, work, school as well as recreation.
It will enable trusted electronic identities for people, services and inputs, and the implementation of strong authentication, data encryption and digital signatures, based on a certifying authority.
Mr. Vernon pointed out that the system will also be designed to address challenges associated with identity theft and other incidents of fraud, particularly those reported by several ministries, departments and agencies within recent years.
Among these institutions, he noted, are the Ministry of National Security, which reported more than 400 cases of identity theft; the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), which reported 2,000 similarly related cases of fraud; and the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), which reported more than 1,000 cases involving forged birth certificates.
Mr. Vernon said the aggregate losses incurred and reported by deposit-taking institutions islandwide as a result of fraud since 2018 totaled approximately $620.5 million.
Under the system, which will have anti-fraud features, each citizen will be assigned a unique nine-digit National Identification Number (NIN) for life.
Mr. Vernon assured that biometric data for the national identification database will be encrypted to prevent unauthorised access.
“Your fingerprint and facial image will be encrypted, so that a regular person just can’t access it like that unless they have the resources or the authority to decrypt the information,” he said.
“Additionally, your fingerprint and your facial image will be kept offline. We are only using your facial image and your finger print to ensure that your identity is unique and to protect [against] identity theft,” Mr. Vernon added.
He shared that within the system, roles and functions have been separated to ensure identity security and reduction of identity fraud and to safeguard the information of persons who enroll in the system.
“We have over seven layers of vetting. No single person can produce [or generate] a national identification card,” he pointed out, adding that at the point of enrolment, the officers will not be allowed to enter basic identity information.
He warned that “significant penalties” will be levied on individuals who commit breaches.
Mr. Vernon noted that through NIDS, unique addresses will be provided for individuals, which will assist in eliminating address issues, particularly in the rural areas.
The layered rollout and management of the NIDS will be handled by a new agency, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), which will replace the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) and provide enhanced services.
“(Under) Section 30 of the Bill, any official of the NIRA who misuses or provides information unlawfully or anyone who provides information to anyone not provided for in the Act commits an offence and the person, having committed the offence, breaches the duty of secrecy or confidentiality imposed by this Act, [and] shall be liable on conviction before a parish court to a fine not exceeding $3 million, in lieu of a term of imprisonment,” Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, said.
Mr. Chuck is also Chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament reviewing the National Identification and Registration Act, 2020.
He has called on Jamaicans to support the NIDS, as it will prevent identity theft from affecting hard-working Jamaicans whose information can fall into the hands of criminals through cyberspace.
The Minister pointed out that the Government plans to implement the Data Protection Act, 2020 before the new National Identification System (NIDS) comes into effect.
The Data Protection Act, 2020, which seeks to safeguard the privacy and personal information of Jamaicans, was passed in the Senate on Friday, June 12, 2020. The Bill was approved in the Lower House on May 19.
Town hall meetings on the National Identification & Registration Act, 2020, form part of a series of government-led consultations to inform the public about NIDS, while affording opportunities for their questions and concerns to be addressed.