- Lawmakers from Liberia’s Home of Representatives need the continuing Nationwide Identification registration program to be freed from cost
- The Home Plenary mandated its Committees on Judiciary, Elections and Inauguration and Put up and Telecommunications for a report in every week’s time
- Registry chief interposes no objection to creating this system free
By Joyclyn Wea and Tetee Gebro with New Narratives
MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberia’s Home of Representatives are pushing for the federal government to make the nation’s obligatory Nationwide Identification Playing cards freed from cost within the wake of the chaos and frustration surrounding the registration course of.
The Nationwide Identification Registry is charging $US5 for a card to entry important companies, together with banking and all authorities companies in keeping with an government order.
Throughout Tuesday’s heated session, by which Mr. Andrew Peters, the Registry’s chief, appeared to reply a litany of questions, the lawmakers mentioned most residents couldn’t afford the quantity due to poverty. “3 out of 10 individuals in Monrovia live in poverty,” with a fair increased proportion in rural areas—”8 out of 10,” in keeping with a 2019 World Financial institution report.
Moima Briggs-Mensah of Bong County, whose communication triggered the listening to, mentioned she was fearful that most individuals, particularly those that lived beneath the financial ladder, have been being excluded from the method.
“This matter is vital to our individuals,” mentioned Consultant Moima Briggs-Mensah of Bong County, whose communication prompted the listening to. “Not solely ought to the method of voting be free — let’s make this free for all Liberians to profit.”
Ivar Jones, her colleague from Margibi County, shared her sentiment when he made a movement for the Plenary to determine the difficulty.
Jones later amended his movement, requesting that the matter be referred to the Home Committees on Judiciary, Elections and Inauguration, and Put up and Telecommunications for evaluate. The Plenary agreed, asking the committees to report again inside every week.
“It’s a elementary proper for Liberians to be uniquely recognized,” mentioned Jones. “With the urgency hooked up to this government order, I transfer if I could get hold of a second that this physique takes a choice mandating the Registry to freed from cost register all Liberians starting right this moment as much as the 31st of August and thereafter.”
Jones did amend his movement later, requesting that the matter be referred to the Committees on Judiciary, Elections and Inauguration, and Put up and Telecommunications for additional deliberations. The Plenary agreed with him, requesting the committees to report on the matter inside one week. The transfer is attribute of how the Legislature handles issues of nationwide sensitivity.
Mr. Andrew Peters, government director of the Registry, who had earlier testified earlier than the Plenary, will face the committees behind closed door. Peters advised keen and ready reporters after the listening to that he interposed no objection to calls to make the ID program free for everybody.
“They’re the policymakers, so if the coverage makers say the federal government will take duty, who am I?” requested Peters. “I don’t have an issue with that. It’s the authorities’s duty to guarantee that persons are uniquely recognized. If the federal government decides we are going to shoulder the associated fee as different nations are doing, I would be the happiest man.”
Chaos and frustration erupted in current occasions over the method, with many voters, fearing their exclusion, voicing their anger in regards to the concern to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives. That compelled the Registry to increase an earlier deadline by 76 days. Solely 16 p.c of Liberia’s estimated 5.5 million individuals have been enrolled within the nationwide database. There are nonetheless considerations in regards to the availability of facilities and tools to quick monitor the registration course of, a problem Peters admitted in Plenary was an enormous problem. He mentioned his company processes solely 5,000 ID playing cards day by day, a tempo he admitted would take almost three years to serve all eligible individuals. Peters mentioned poor highway networks, restricted postal companies, and insufficient logistical assist have been limitations to the method.
As he advised a information convention earlier this week, Peters advised the lawmakers that there have been plans to open 100 enrollment facilities in main counties and purchase six specialised printing machines to speed up manufacturing.
The digital ID initiative, funded by means of the World Financial institution’s $30 million Governance Reform & Accountability Transformation Challenge or GREAT Challenge, is meant to modernize Liberia’s citizen companies.
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as a part of the Investigating Liberia mission. Funding was offered by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. The funder had no say within the story’s content material.
