PRIME Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday assured Jamaicans that the Government has embarked on a zero-fail mission to ensure effective execution of the national identification system (NIDS).

Speaking at the technical pilot launch for NIDS, Holness underscored that the Government has put in place a framework to protect the data collection of NIDS, embedded into laws of serious consequences for data breaches.

“We have gone over and beyond what is required to ensure you have one of the safest, most secure systems in the world that is protecting your data and ensuring that the system is robust and your privacy is protected, and that it delivers the functionality that is required,” he said during the launch at the Jamaica Post Central Sorting Office on South Camp Road in Kingston, which is the first enrolment and card personalisation centre for the NIDS project.

“We have to take measures, we have to put in place systems, and we literally have to operate on a zero-fail mission to protect your data because that is the only way we are going to ensure you sign on and participate,” said Holness.

Holness said the pilot is expected to be completed by the end of this financial year, with full roll-out across all parishes by the next financial year.

He said there will be 24 sites islandwide at various post offices which will be modernised and transformed into enrolment centres.

“Today we launch a process to test-drive all the processes and subsistence that we have been developing in the last few years. During the pilot it is of significance that we will move to obtain the International Civil Aviation Organisation certificate,” he said.

“We are pleased that we have been receiving calls and emails from the public who are eager to enrol, which is a good sign as many Jamaicans would like not only an ID but also recognise the importance of the digital ID,” he added.

In the meantime, Holness encouraged more Jamaicans to participate in the digital space.

“More and more of our services, functionalities, are being transitioned in the digital space; and the NIDS does not just identify you physically from person to person but will be able to assist you in establishing identity in the digital space,” he informed.

NIDS is being promoted as a comprehensive and secure structure to enable the capture and storage of personal identity information for citizens and people ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

The system will establish a reliable database of all Jamaican citizens and will involve the issuance of a unique, lifelong national identification number to every person. It may be used with a multipurpose card or be uploaded onto smartphones in the long term.