Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Albert Kawana said the new national identification cards (IDs) that government is set to introduce can be used as travel documents with neighbouring countries and make border crossing easier.
Kawana said this in the National Assembly this week while responding to questions from Popular Democratic Movement Member of Parliament Nico Smit.
Smit wanted to know why it was necessary for government to design and print new ID cards without informing the public and how much it would cost members of the public to acquire the new ID cards.
This comes after the ministry announced that Cabinet approved the issuing of new look IDs and the first people to receive them are Founding President Sam Nujoma, former President Hifikepunye Pohamba, President Hage Geingob, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Chief Justice, Peter Shivute.
Kawana said that the only changes on the new ID cards will be the removal of the fingerprint and the barcode on the reverse side of the card which will be replaced by a Quick Response Code and a Machine-Readable Zone, and the inclusion of the new features, is in line with international best practice recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Therefore, Namibia can consider the use of the new ID cards as travel documents with neighbouring countries and make border crossing easier especially for border residents.
“This is, however, subject to agreements with neighbouring countries but a number of countries are already working towards this objective. On our side, we are ready. Additionally, these two new features will be embedded with selected details that appear on the ID card to enable secure authentication of a person’s identity. It will make it easier to detect forged IDs and I have no doubt that a number of institutions such as banks and insurance companies will welcome the new cards because they will go a long way to protect themselves from fraudulent activities,” said Kawana.
He added that government will not spend extra money on the printing of new IDs and the public will not pay any costs either.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
