WB approves loan for digital NID
Thursday, 12 May 2011
FE Report
The World Bank (WB) Wednesday approved a US$195 million loan for Bangladesh to prepare digital national identification card (NID) for its nearly 90 million people by 2015. The WB local office in Dhaka said the board of directors of the Bank in its headquarters in Washington had approved the loan for preparing a reliable national identification card for the people. Under the "Identification System for Enhanced Access to Services (IDEA) project" the Bangladesh Election Commission will prepare the digital ID card for people of 18 years and above ages across the country. The system will be built upon the existing voter-list database by the Bangladesh Election Commission. WB Country Director Ms Ellen Goldstein said, "A comprehensive national identification system will transform the way in which public services, including social benefits, are delivered to recipients." "It will also assist in better planning, minimizing corruption and increasing transparency in service delivery." The credit is from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending arm. The loan carries a 0.75 per cent interest rate, a maturity of 40 years, including a10-years grace period. A finance ministry official said if the project is implemented government's capacity to identify citizens accurately and quickly, and to track what services the people are entitled to receive from the state will be boosted. Before the last national election in December 2008, the EC had prepared NID targeting the voters investing US$78 million (Tk 5.47 billion). "As some incidents of fraud and forgery with the existing ID card is happening we have decided to prepare digital NID to check such corruptions and ensure accuracy of the personal information," officials said.
The World Bank (WB) Wednesday approved a US$195 million loan for Bangladesh to prepare digital national identification card (NID) for its nearly 90 million people by 2015. The WB local office in Dhaka said the board of directors of the Bank in its headquarters in Washington had approved the loan for preparing a reliable national identification card for the people. Under the "Identification System for Enhanced Access to Services (IDEA) project" the Bangladesh Election Commission will prepare the digital ID card for people of 18 years and above ages across the country. The system will be built upon the existing voter-list database by the Bangladesh Election Commission. WB Country Director Ms Ellen Goldstein said, "A comprehensive national identification system will transform the way in which public services, including social benefits, are delivered to recipients." "It will also assist in better planning, minimizing corruption and increasing transparency in service delivery." The credit is from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending arm. The loan carries a 0.75 per cent interest rate, a maturity of 40 years, including a10-years grace period. A finance ministry official said if the project is implemented government's capacity to identify citizens accurately and quickly, and to track what services the people are entitled to receive from the state will be boosted. Before the last national election in December 2008, the EC had prepared NID targeting the voters investing US$78 million (Tk 5.47 billion). "As some incidents of fraud and forgery with the existing ID card is happening we have decided to prepare digital NID to check such corruptions and ensure accuracy of the personal information," officials said.