Warning on birth certificates

USERS of identity documents in Papua New Guinea must stop accepting the old blue birth certificate, according to PNG Civil and Identity Registry registrar-general Dickson Kiragi.
This follows reports that Iranian refugee Loghomon Sawari was issued a birth certificate to obtain a PNG passport.
Kiragi said their preliminary investigation found that he was not issued with a Birth Certificate with security features and a National Identity Card through the current PNG Civil and Identity Registration System.
He said the Birth Certificate issued did not match the Birth and NID entry Number.
He said following a ministerial circular advice of 2015, and administration of 2016, the issuance of the old Blue Certificate from the old system was phased out in provinces connected to the new PNG Civil and Identity Registration System.
“I appeal to all Government agencies, private institution and users of identity documents in PNG to refrain from accepting the old Blue Birth Certificate,” he said.
“Applicants who are lodging their Blue Birth Certificate for any services are required to contact PNG CIR for their certificates to be replaced.”
He said the process of obtaining an identity document through the PNG CIRS system had significantly  been  improved  since  the  launching  of  the  system  in  2015, therefore making the old system obsolete .
Any record entered into the PNG CIRS system goes through a stringent process and due diligence to qualify the registration for the certificates and the National Identity Card to be printed and issued, he said.
“This is possible with the photograph of the applicant, fingerprints and bio data used for the purpose of validation.”