Nepal grapples with national ID distribution challenges as banks make card mandatory

Since January 14, it is mandatory to present one’s national ID card in Nepal when opening a bank account. This is in fulfillment of a government directive announced on January 9 which also seeks to strengthen the security of banking operations, according to Republica.

With this measure, one would have expected the national ID distribution process to be expedient such that everyone who has applied for the card can easily have it, to be able to go about their daily transactions. However, according to The Kathmandu Post, there has been a major problem with the distribution of national ID cards in the country, with many of the printed cards still uncollected.

The outlet alludes to a performance report recently released by the National Identity Card and Civil Registration Department which indicates that out of 16.56 million national ID cards applied for in total, only 1.94 million have been successfully distributed to their applicants.

The ID authority adds that in the meantime, the printing of 6 million more cards has been completed while 5.5 million of the cards have been dispatched to district ID registration offices for distribution to their owners.

Last month, lawmakers raised concerns about delays related to the implementation of the national ID project.

Beyond what appears to be a snail-paced ID card production process, the Director General of the ID department, Yubaraj Katel, says they also have a challenge with distribution agents, some of who have been rejecting the pay proposed for card distribution.

The official said there is a daily distribution fee of between 600-1,200 Nepalese Rupee (between US$4.5 and US$8.6) which many people are unwilling to take.

Also, the ID authority has stated that other than the lack of distribution manpower, there is also a lack of action from the population, either because some of them have left the country for greener pasture abandoning their cards, or they prefer using their ID card numbers which serve the same purpose as physical cards.

Recently, the government announced the integration of the national ID with the Nagarik App digital government platform in a bid to expand access to public services.

It is also possible to view one’s national ID via the app by imputing their unique identification number issued at the time of applying for the ID.

The ID integration with the digital government app comes after the Supreme Court threw out a writ challenging a move by the government to make the ID mandatory for social security payments, pensions and other government services.

Amid the challenges around the card, the government has continued to emphasize its importance, with the Communication minister recently describing it as a tool for the promotion of good governance in the country.

While receiving his ID card in a ceremony at the close of last month, Prithvi Subba Gurung, hailed the nature of the card saying it will solve some of the problems that hitherto arose with the use of the citizenship card.

Article Topics

banking  |  biometrics  |  civil registration  |  digital identity  |  identity management  |  identity verification  |  national ID  |  Nepal