The Government is looking towards the rollout of the National Identification System (NIDS) in the second quarter of 2023, following the completion of a pilot programme in December.

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Floyd Green, gave an update on the project during his presentation at the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance (JTDA) BizTech Conference 2022 on Thursday, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

NIDS, an electronic form of identity, will provide a comprehensive and secure database for capturing and storing the personal information of citizens and non-nationals ordinarily resident in the country. Members of the Jamaican diaspora will also be able to register for the new identification card.

“There is no doubt that the NIDS will be the safest identification system that we have in the country, and not just Jamaica but internationally,” the minister said. 

The system is protected by blockchain technology and conforms to standards stipulated by the Data Protection Act, 2020, and the National Identification and Registration Act, 2021. 

Twenty-four post offices across Jamaica will be retrofitted to serve as enrolment centres. The facilities will be outfitted with high-speed Internet and technological devices to accommodate enrolment.

Green emphasised that NIDS is a necessary component in the country’s digital transformation process.

“We do not want to be left behind. I think we here in Jamaica can appreciate that any sustainable digital future has to be built on identity and being able to [verify] those who will interact with the technology,” the minister said.

“We appreciate that as the world evolves, we have to find ways to utilise the technology to make the provision of government services more efficient, and this is what NIDS is about,” Green added.