East African Business Week (Kampala)
Alex Ngarambe
31 March 2008
Kigali — The UK based company-De-La-rue has won an $18million tender to work on Rwanda's identity card project.
The company which brought in sophisticated equipments to finish the work is now capturing biometric data in which a digital picture, electric finger print and signature are included.
The data capture that started in February this year will end in August though by the end of April the residents of Kigali will have received their Identity cards.
The government has registered 5.3 million Rwandans above 16 years who will be given new national identity cards.
However, the coordinator of the project, Mr. Pascal Nyamurinda told East African Business Week that biometric data of 10 million Rwandans has been computerised.
The government has decided to fund the project but every card holder will be obliged to pay Rwf500 (US$0.9) to get it.
The first phase of the project will see all registered Rwandans gotten their identity cards.
According to Nyamurinda, the second phase will see deliverance of the smart card encompassing all the data from any service provider such as banks, driving permit, insurance, and many more others.
The holders of the smart card will only pay Rwf15,000($27). Together with the driving permit, the smart card will cost Rwf50, 000($90).
A chip will be installed in these smart cards to make sure the information about the service providers such as the banks, insurance companies and revenue authority corresponds with the information on the identity card.
The ID will be swiped through an electronic machine that will read the information on the card and the finger prints. Rwanda will be the first country on the continent to issue smart cards though Senegal and South Africa have the first phase of the electronic national identity cards.
Rwandans who live abroad have been registered from the Rwandan embassies in those countries where they live.
A majority of the Rwandans abroad were registered in the neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and DR Congo. Other countries that registered high numbers were Belgium, England and Canada.
Rwandans who live countries where there is no Rwandan embassy, have not been registered.
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