House of Representatives Passes NIDS Bill

The National Identification and Registration Act, 2021 or the NIDS Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on October 13. The National Identification System (NIDS) will give a wide and secure structure to enable the acquisition 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.

The Constitutional Court outlined the lacks in the previous 2017 Act in April 2019, and since then, with several adjustments and consultations, to fully address the previous issues in the new legislation; the NIDS Bill was passed with 14 amendments with the support of the Opposition.

Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, said the new legislation and its policies will benefit all Jamaicans, especially those have had difficulties accessing government services due to a lack of legal identification documents.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the legislation is voluntary, and will not infringe on the rights of Jamaicans.

“We are giving our commitment that this Bill will work in favour of the people; it will respect their rights to privacy, it will be forward-leaning in protecting those rights and it will increase the efficiency; it will increase the well-being and welfare of our people,” the PM Holness added.

He noted that the quality of life of citizens will improve while noting that the digital identification system is the missing link to limit the unreasonably complicated administrative procedures that are often associated with many services that require physical or in-person interaction.

Meanwhile, Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck, said that during the review of the NIDS Bill citizens’ right to privacy was taken into consideration and to ensure that the penalties reflect the weight of the offences created under the legislation. Minister Chuck noted that the existing Tax Registration Number, (TRN) will be used as the unique nine-digit National Identification Number (NIN).

“The proposed relationship between the two systems is specifically for verifying that the TRN provided by an individual is assigned, in the TRN database, to the person who is applying to enroll in the NIDS and to ensure that all new numbers are generated from a single repository to minimise duplication,” he said.

The legislation will also establish the National Identification and Registration Inspectorate, the Inspectorate’s functions are to be carried out by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ). The digital identification will provide a single ID that will be widely accepted, and it will enable participation in the formal financial system.