Liberia MPs want free national ID cards as govt suspends issuance

A recent plenary sitting by Liberia’s House of Representatives emphasized the need to make the issuance of national ID cards free in the country due to the inability of many citizens to pay for the vital document.

The session saw the presence of the National Identification Registry (NIR) Executive Director, Andrew Peters, who answered questions from several members of parliament (MPs) touching many aspects of Liberia’s national ID system, Front Page Africa reports.

The call from the MPs comes as the government has also put issuance of the document on hold, citing administrative reasons, as reported by The Liberian Investigator.

According to lawmakers, the economic situation of the country is making it pretty difficult for a majority of citizens to afford the $5 required for an ID application. Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than half of the population living below the poverty line, according to a 2023 World Bank poverty assessment report.

Hon Moima Briggs-Mensah from Bong Country, who initiated the free ID card debate, argued that identity is a legal right for every Liberian, and therefore registration for a national ID card should be free of charge.

Ivar Jones, another lawmaker, supported the motion before asking that the matter be referred for further examination by two relevant House Committees which are expected to provide feedback to the chamber within a period of one week. They are the Committees on Judiciary, Elections and Inauguration, and Post and Telecommunications.

Both lawmakers buttressed their arguments, citing the urgency which a recent executive order from the president brings to national ID registration.

In reaction to the MPs’ concerns, Peters said he had no objective, but that it is left for the government to choose which path it intends to pursue.

“It is the government’s responsibility to make sure that people are uniquely identified. If the government decides, we will shoulder the cost as other countries are doing,” said Peters, as quoted. The NIR boss and his team were summoned to parliament to explain the delays in the issuance of national ID cards.

Last Month, Peters told Biometric Update in an interview that Liberia’s efforts to expand national ID coverage were being hampered by user payment challenges, which ties in with the lawmakers’ concerns.

Peters said the NIR was in need of more funds and partnerships in order to advance the goals of an executive order from the President signed in April making it mandatory to require national ID cards for access to public and private sector services in the country.

A June 23 suspension of ID cards issuance affects this executive as service providers have been told to accept alternative ID document from service seekers. Civil society organisations are urging the government to conduct a review of the situation in order to effectively address the reasons that triggered the suspension, writes Front Page Africa.

Recently, citizens have also been asking authorities to consider creating more national ID enrollment centers in order to facilitate access.

National ID coverage in Liberia currently stands at less than 15 percent.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital ID  |  identity document  |  Liberia  |  national ID  |  National Identification Registry (NIR)