Philippines central bank gives greenlight for new ID card printing contract

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) or central bank of the Philippines has told the country’s identity authority (PSA) to proceed with scouting for a new national ID card printing contractor after the bank terminated its engagement with an existing supplier over card production delays.

In a statement issued September 21, the BSP reiterated its decision to terminate the deal with AllCard Inc, the company that held the contract for printing ID cards.

“This decision was made to protect the interests of the government, represented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the primary implementing agency of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) project,” the BSP statement reads.

“Terminating the contract allows the PSA the freedom to explore other options to expedite the production and delivery of national ID cards. Attempts to revive the contract with a supplier that has already failed to deliver will only further delay PSA’s plans to address backlogs.”

It would appear a court had issued an order restraining the BSP from going ahead with the contract termination, but the bank sad it had not “received an official copy of the reported order from the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City,” but promised to act accordingly “once the official order, if any, is received.”

The BSP also explained a bit more context with regard to the contract termination, noting that “it undertook the printing of the cards to assist the PSA with its mandate under Republic Act No. 11055.”

It equally mentioned that there’s been an arbitration effort from AllCard to resolve the issues and that the bank is “actively participating” in the process.

In the wake of the contract termination move by the BSP, the PSA said in an announcement last month that it “trusts the assessment and decision” of the bank “to terminate its contract with their supplier for the national ID card production.”

PSA Undersecretary, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Claire Dennis S Mapa, said the institution was taking necessary measures for the continuous issuance of National IDs, adding that different formats of the cards are available for registered persons.

“We affirm our unwavering commitment to delivering a reliable and secure national ID system, ensuring that every registered person will receive their National ID,” Mapa assured.

The Philippines says it is on course to issue digital ID to every citizens by 2025.

Article Topics

government purchasing  |  identity document  |  PhilID  |  Philippines  |  Philippines Statistics Authority