NIRA moving to accelerate nationwide expansion of national ID enrolment

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) is moving to rapidly expand national identification enrolment services across the country.

Executive Director, Dr Warren Vernon, made the disclosure during a recent meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister.

He disclosed that the policy target for the coming financial year will be to expand enrolment nationwide, improve participation numbers, and strengthen partnerships with government and private-sector entities.

“In fact, we are getting a lot of interest already from the private sector, where they want us to come in and do enrolments. We have the capacity now in terms of the devices to follow on that, and we’re going to move ahead to facilitate that partnership to drive the enrolment numbers,” he stated.

“In addition to that, we must now also move to implement more use cases for national ID, to be able to provide services to the public 24/7. We know Government is also looking at use cases, even with the proof of life and so on. But that is something that is going to be critical, moving forward,” the executive director added.

Vernon also disclosed that an online portal is now available, allowing Jamaicans to complete their enrolment for the national identification (ID) card.

“So we’re encouraging everybody to make use of the service. It’s a free ID that is being provided by the State as a form of public good… similar to how the State would have provided a free birth certificate at birth. All Jamaicans are entitled to that first free birth certificate… and it’s incorporated in that service. So there’s no excuse for persons not to become formalised to benefit from the services in the society,” the Executive Director said.

Meanwhile, Vernon reported that data indicate a decline in Jamaica’s birth rate.

He said data collected and analysed from 2018 to 2024 have shown a 24 per cent decline in births.

“So, while… late registration, people who initially weren’t registered or people who returned to update their records and documentation, is somewhere about 106 per cent, what we are seeing is that there’s a gradual decline [in the birth rate],” he stated, while adding “this is not new for Jamaica”.

The NIRA has assumed administration of Jamaica’s civil registration system, replacing the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), and is now providing enhanced services.

The entity also oversees the phased roll-out and management of the National Identification System (NIDS).

- JIS News

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