NID project processing at better rate, official says

With a budget of less than K70million over the last three years, the National Identity (NID) project registration has progressed well and registered 2.1million people, printed and issued more than 700,000 cards and close to a million birth certificates, Civil Identity Registration acting registra- general Noel Mobiha says.
He said more than 2.4million registrations were done which showed a much rate of processing than previously.
Mobiha said this in response to the front page article by The National on Friday which said NID registration was slow.
He said issues with NID registration had been created by past management.
“It is important for our people, the Government and all our key stakeholders to know that the NID Project takes time, patience, and innovative spirit to complete,” he said.
He said systems and processes had been not put in place previously at the NID.
“Staff were not paid on time and in full and staff contributions to superfunds savings were never made.
“Provincial operations were non-existent.”
“Before the former acting registrar-general Michael Kumung and I got in, everything was falling apart and continuing to malfunction.”
“We know how to reach that target.
“All we need is a lot of patience, understanding and resourcing and political support,” Mobiha said.
Mobiha said with a budget of less than K70 million the past three years his team registered 2.1 million people, printed and issued over 700,000 NID cards and close to one million birth certificates, opened operations in all 22 provinces and eight districts and counting.
“Staff now receive full pay with contributions made to super funds since 2018. We have in operation 100 mobile registration kits.”
He said the NID had been provided vehicles and logistical support by some provinces and district administrations.
He said East Sepik, Morobe and Northern had been supportive of the NID project.
PNGCIR and provinces and districts needed to work together to expedite the NID project, he said.
Mobiha said his office had acquired a NID card printer provided by their partner Huawei for K5 million.