KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Establishment of the Jamaica National Identification Agency (JNIA) is to commence in the 2017/18 fiscal year.

This is one of the activities to be undertaken as the Government moves to develop a National Identification System (NIDS) that supports secure, reliable and robust verification and authentication of citizens and persons normally resident in Jamaica.

A sum of $262.7 million has been allotted in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure for this purpose.

The process will involve digitisation of documents held at the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), which is the entity that will be transformed into the JNIA. It will be a statutory body with responsibility for civil registration and civil identification functions to facilitate this process.

The JNIA will perform all functions carried out by the RGD, as well as civil identification functions, such as the registration of eligible people, issuing of the national identification number (NIN) and national identification card and collection of related information that is to be contained in the National Civil and Biometric Database.

Other initiatives to be undertaken include the execution of a communication and behaviour-change strategy; and the establishment of data-hosting facilities at eGov Jamaica Limited

The NIDS will be utilised by the public sector to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the delivery of national, social, economic and security programmes.

Through the use of the NIN, the Government will be able to accurately and reliably identify beneficiaries, resulting in more equitable and efficient administration of public goods and social services.

The NIDS will also facilitate the ease of doing business by providing an identity-management system that will enable the authentication of an individual’s identity by both the public and private sectors.

The enrolment of citizens is expected to commence in January 2018.

The project is being spearheaded by the Office of the Prime Minister with funding from the Consolidated Fund.