Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government is closer to the implementation of the National Identification System (NIDS).

He was speaking today at the launch of the NIDS technical pilot project at the first enrolment centre, the Central Sorting Office in Kingston.

 

Mr. Holness underscored that the information collected under NIDS will be protected.

 

He told the media briefing that several people were unable to benefit from the government's CARE programme as their identity could not be verified.

 

The Prime Minister asserted that a NIDS card would have prevented those hiccups.

 

He said the world has been moving to a digital society and Jamaica has no choice but to follow suit. 

 

"It is going to be a leap for many Jamaicans to appreciate that this is possible but we have to start. The world is not going to wait for us to appreciate that much of what we are doing now is going to become obsolete and the services must transition to digital platforms," he explained, calling the move "an inescapable and imminent project".