THE Government’s roll-out of a national public education campaign on the National Identification System (NIDS) will continue with a series of town hall meetings islandwide.

The first is scheduled for Emancipation Park in New Kingston on November 23, starting at 6:00 pm.

This was disclosed by Director of Communications and Public Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister Robert Morgan during a press conference at Jamaica House on Tuesday.

He said that the NIDS team and other stakeholders will be available to answer all queries from the public about the system.

The NIDS, which is scheduled for implementation in 2019, will provide a comprehensive and secure structure to enable the capture and storage of identity information for all Jamaicans.

Under the system, each citizen will be provided with a randomised nine-digit National Identification Number, which they will have for life.

Morgan informed that the public education campaign began on Monday with advertisements across various media platforms.

“You will note that there are ads on television, in the newspapers, on radio and social media, educating people about what the NIDS means,” he said.

The communications director further noted that the NIDS team and other related personnel will make themselves available to “all media houses, interest groups and stakeholder groups to answer whatever questions they wish to ask”.

“There will also be a framework created to update the nation consistently on the steps that are being taken in the implementation of the programme,” he added.

Implementation of NIDS is supported by the National Identification and Registration Bill, which was passed in the Senate on Monday with 168 amendments, and has been returned to the House of Representatives for approval.

With anticipated funding of US$68 million from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Government intends to put the NIDS infrastructure and systems in place over the next 12 months, beginning with a pilot project.

This is expected to be followed by the national roll-out in September 2019, over a three- to four-year period.

The layered roll-out and management of the NIDS will be handled by a new agency, the National Identification and Registration Authority, which will replace the Registrar General’s Department and provide more enhanced services.

— JIS