TWENTY-THREE more post offices are to be designated national identification system (NIDS) enrolment centres, alongside the Central Sorting Office (CSO).

Speaking at the reopening of the renovated CSO, South Camp Road in Kingston, on October 13, chairman of the Postal Corporation of Jamaica, Professor Felix Akinladejo shared information about the partnership enabling the roll-out.

“The postal services and the national identification system have forged a mutually beneficial partnership which will ensure the benefit of our stakeholders. A number of strategically located post offices across the island will be designated as NIDS enrolment sites, and the renovated CSO is the first to be operationalised,” the professor said.

This echoes the announcement made by minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Floyd Green during a post-Cabinet press briefing the day before. The minister has responsibility for the NIDS project.

While the CSO is now open and the NIDS enrolment centre is complete, the NIDS pilot programme is not expected to commence until the end of the year.

“To date, NIDS has been a key stakeholder in the renovation of the CSO, having made significant financial contribution to the funding of the project, and this partnership is currently ongoing with 23 other post offices,” the professor said.

The NIDS project contributed approximately $10 million to the renovation of the CSO and will similarly assist with the modernisation of post offices designated to be enrolment centres.

This contribution was matched by the Post and Telecommunications Department, which also provided labour for the renovation works.