Mühlbauer helps Uganda reach 30M biometric registrations, details Mozambique and Fiji projects

Secure document company Mühlbauer has revealed details of three of its national identification system projects, saying it has extended biometric identity coverage in Uganda at a record pace.

The Ugandan government contracted Mühlbauer to provide a functioning ID card and digital identity to Ugandan citizens, only 8 percent of whom had birth certificates as of 2014, under the country’s National Security Information System (NSIS). The design of the identity card, the supply of blank documents and machines for personalization and adding state-of-the-art security features were supplied by Mühlbauer, and within 8 weeks of the contract’s finalization 8,000 mobile units for registration and production were available. In addition to the ID cards, 5 million people have been enrolled in the biometric National Identification Register (NIR).

“Mühlbauer has excellently supported and reliably supported the biometric coverage of approximately 5 million citizens in a very short period of only 6 weeks,” says Republic of Uganda Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Affairs AM Kirunda Kivejinja, as translated by Google.

There have now been approximately 30 million Ugandans registered in the NIR. Roughly three-quarters of adults in Uganda now have a permanent national identification number backed by fingerprint biometrics, according to the announcement, enabling them to more easily access services from the government and private sector, both in person and online.

Uganda also contracted Gemalto for a new border management system early this year.

Mühlbauer has also installed a national electronic visa and border management solution for the Mozambique government, including a wide range of applications to cover 14 airports, 7 sea borders, and 22 land crossings. Applications are meant to be user-friendly for border officials, displaying all relevant data on a single page, and leveraging document readers to authenticate document security features and access a database of relevant security features of most ICAO-compliant travel documents.

The system enables efficient and secure border traffic monitoring and provides automatic alerts when restricted individuals attempt to enter or leave the country, the company says.

New ePassports for the island nation of Fiji have been delivered by Mühlbauer only 12 weeks after the release of the design, adding ICAO requirements like digital photographs and fingerprint biometrics that were not present on legacy passports in the country.

The company was commissioned to provide necessary IT and security infrastructure for the printing and issuance of four types of ePassports, and provide training for Immigration Department (DOI) staff. The new Fiji ePass system is integrated with its existing Border Management System (BMS) infrastructure, which according to Mühlbauer creates synergies and improves security.

Fiji’s government announced a new biometric national ID system in July, with details and tenders forthcoming.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  digital ID cards  |  digital identity  |  electronic visa  |  Fiji  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Mozambique  |  Mühlbauer  |  national ID  |  Uganda