Thursday 7 January 2016

Identity theft rife in the country

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 22, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)





RESPONDING queries concerning the National Identity Information System and Database in Parliament on Friday- Minister for National Planning Charles Abel highlighted the fact that identity theft was rife in the country.

He said the system was vital in addressing the issue that had plagues systems of governance and society in general.

“At the moment you have exercises in terms of voting, in terms of registration that are happening with people utilizing the identity of other people,” Minister Able said.

“Well known through the election process we have issues where you can vote under the name of another person.”

“When you go to collect your birth certificates you can just carry a bunch of names just down to the civil registry office to register some land under the guise that you are somebody else.”

He added that with the role of the systems and its fixed offices to be setup in districts and provinces- people will be able to access birth certificates down at the provincial level.

“Also down there will be the civil registry officers, NSO (National Statistics Office) officers, and Planning will be down there.”

“Exercises like census, updating the common role, and all exercise related to education and others will come from a system that is timely and we can produce up to date and live statistics for the purpose of planning and going forward.”

“This is a genuine intention, a genuine exercise by our government to just get info up to date, where the information can only be accessed by the relevant government agencies.”

He concluded that on Monday he along with the prime minister will travel to Mendi to open the first Fixed Data Collection Center, with other important rural areas to follow.



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