Senate passes new national identification bill

The legislation was passed in the House of Representatives on October 13.

NIDS will provide a comprehensive and secure structure to enable the collection and storage of identity information.

This secure, voluntary tool, can be used to verify an individual’s identity, facilitate the electronic signing of documents and securely access a range of government services online.

Piloting the Bill, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith said that the landmark legislation, which has been in the making for 40 years, is a representation of the views of the Jamaican people.

“It has received contributions from a broad range of stakeholders, citizens, members of the diaspora, and various…interest groups. We had 32 sittings of the Joint Select Committee and all of those sittings were robust, collaborative, fruitful, in addition to the many consultations that took place outside of that, and of course, the ruling of the court in respect of the original Bill has been perused in detail and [the] concerns addressed in this new framework,” she said.

She noted that the legislative framework for NIDS has been strengthened and improved, and will now recognise and protect the right to privacy of an enrolled individual, particularly as it relates to safeguarding data/identity information.

“This legislation expressly requires the encryption of personal information and compliance with international best practices for information security,” Senator Johnson Smith said.

A new, single ID will be provided, which will be widely accepted, and protected by strong security and private networks.

Senator Johnson Smith, who is the leader of Government Business in the Upper House, said that once NIDS comes into effect, no longer will Jamaicans have to register multiple times with government agencies to do business.

“All of the same information you have to get so many times to give to different government agencies because there is no standard method of identification, this will change that. It will change the way we do business and the way Jamaicans are able to access services in Jamaica,” she noted.

Senator Johnson Smith said that the legislation also strengthens the organisational and governance structure of the National Identification and Registration Authority, and ensures that the penalties reflect the gravity of the offences created under the legislation.

The legislative framework has also been improved to bolster the independent oversight of the Authority and to ensure that a comprehensive enabling structure exists to facilitate the implementation of NIDS.

In addition, it establishes the National Identification and Registration Inspectorate, which will have responsibility for monitoring the Authority to ensure that it operates within the bounds of the legislation, and directs and advises the Authority on its compliance.

The Inspectorate’s functions are to be carried out by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ).

The existing tax registration number (TRN) will be used as the unique nine-digit National Identification Number (NIN).