South Africa’s biometric driver’s license tender process no good, AG finds

A contract held by Idemia Smart Identity to supply machines for printing South Africa’s biometric driver’s licenses is in limbo after the country’s Auditor General found irregularities in the tender process.

The contract was awarded by the Department of Transport’s Driving License Card Account (DLCA) agency last August.

Transport Minister Brabara Creecy wrote to the AG following the cancelation of a contract between Idemia and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) last year to inquire if the company would keep South African’s data safe and if local providers were considered.

The cancellation of the ACSA contract was not accompanied by an explanation, but followed a dispute with local partner Infoverge and the suspension of ACSA’s CIO.

An interim report from the AG says Idemia’s personal data protection measures were adequately assessed during the tender process, Eyewitness News reports.

Little else seems to have gone right, with the AG finding key technical requirements were not met.

When Creecy wrote to the AG, civil society group Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) alleged irregularities in the driver’s license printing machine procurement, and that the value of the contract for the driver’s license project had increased to over R898 million ($49.5 million). The AG’s report says all bids exceeded the budget of R486 million ($26.8 million), which used outdated prices, reports Polity.

The AG also found the DLCA, which ran the tender, had inspected Idemia hardware unrelated to the contract, and evaluated bids without proper regard for the evaluation criteria set out in the bid specifications.

Creecy is now awaiting guidance on how to proceed from South Africa’s High Court.

Idemia working on clarification, resolution

“Idemia Smart Identity, which operates under the Idemia South Africa entity, legitimately won this tender, as we firmly believe we are the best in this field,” a company representative told Biometric Update in an email.

“We take very seriously the results of the audit carried out by the Auditor General of South Africa. While some of the findings pertain to matters beyond our scope, others directly concerning Idemia Smart Identity do not reflect the reality of our operations. We are actively working to clarify these points and ensure a full understanding of the situation.

“We remain open to constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to address any concerns in a transparent and solution-oriented manner. At the same time, we will continue to assess all appropriate avenues, including our legal options, to ensure a fair and objective resolution of the issues raised in the audit.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  driver's license  |  government purchasing  |  IDEMIA  |  Idemia Smart Identity  |  South Africa  |  tender