By Omar Bah
The Minister of Interior of The Gambia, Hon. Abdoulie Sanyang, recently updated the National Assembly regarding the upcoming national ID card production contract. During his address, he discussed the challenges related to ID card issuance and highlighted concerns about an airport tax impacting travelers entering the country.
Following the conclusion of the government’s contract with Semlex, national ID cards were not issued in The Gambia for several months. Hon. Sanyang clarified that despite termination claims, the contract with the Belgian company had reached its specified end. He further explained that although the company had requested an extension, the government declined due to unfavorable conditions.
To tackle the issue of ID card production, Sanyang has indicated that they are negotiating new contracts with a focus on involving local content. This strategy aims to secure a new contract that avoids the challenges encountered with Semlex and relieves individuals needing proper ID documentation.
In 2009, The Gambia commenced the issuance of ID cards after biometric deduplication carried out by Innovatrics in partnership with local firm Pristine Consulting. In June 2016, a six-year contract was established between Semlex and the Gambian government, which was initially terminated and then reinstated following renewed negotiations.
Under the contract terms, Semlex was tasked with deploying the necessary software and hardware to set up a biometric identification and authentication system and producing identity documents such as biometric national ID cards, driver’s licenses, visa stickers, and residence permits. The agreement operated on a Build-Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis, requiring the company to invest in infrastructure, produce documents for the duration of the contract, and transfer the system and operational expertise through training.
Sanyang announced that ID card production will resume in August, but this plan has yet to come to fruition. Gambian citizens have voiced concerns about the country’s sporadic issuance of identity documents. As outlined in a report from last year, the Gambian government is receiving assistance from the UN Economic Commission for Africa in implementing a National Digital ID System (DIDS). Furthermore, an agreement has been reached with big data analytics company Presight to support digital transformation initiatives by issuing digital IDs.
