Right Steps and Poui Trees posted an article on November 2, 2020, titled “The New NIDS: A Coalition Statement”. Below are some key highlights:
- The Government of Jamaica indicated that fresh legislation to establish the National Identification System (NIDS) would be tabled, debated, and passed by the end of the year
- As Jamaicans, we are all too familiar with the inefficiencies and frustration that stem from ineffective identification options—multiple visits to government offices; numerous calls to find a Justice of the Peace to certify documents; or, in the worst cases, inability to access services when we need them
- The Kenyan High Court delayed the implementation of their ID system after it found that it was systematically excluding minority groups
- In India, recent studies of their ID system have found that it has failed to improve the efficiency of the state welfare programmes, and has made them more difficult to access for the communities who rely on them the most
- The end-of-year timeline for the tabling, public consultation, revision, debate, and passage of the NIDS Bill will be insufficient. This law is likely to affect Jamaicans in profound ways, they must have a real opportunity to understand the concepts in the Bill for themselves and sufficient time to prepare any submissions on areas of concern
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