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ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services
Ecosystem

Table D.11 – Tanzania Case Study

TANZANIA – National ID Program
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: A national identity system was first envisioned in Tanzania in 1968, but implementation was long
1
delayed by financial constraints. In 2008, a national identity project officially launched with the aim of modernizing the national
identity management system and linking it with new identity cards that would replace the old paper cards. 2,3 The national iden-
tification database is expected to be linked together with the vital statistics database and systems from the National Electoral
Commission, Tanzania Revenue Authority, President's Office, Public Service Management, Ministry of Labor and Employment,
4
Interpol, as well as health, education, and police databases.
BASIC NATIONAL IDENTITY PROGRAM INFORMATION
Institution(s) Managing the Program: National Identification Authority 5
(Cards are issued by Iris Corporation Berhad, a Malaysian firm) 6

Funding Source: The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and bank loans 7,8

Budget for Program Operation: Total project cost is estimated at 237.6 billion Tanzanian shillings (US$ 149 million)
for issuing identity cards to between 23 million and 25 million people.
9
10
Target Population: All Tanzanian citizens, residents, and refugees, with registration occurring first for
residents in Dar es Salaam Region in 2012. 11
Target Age: Not specified
Year Introduced: The project started in 2008; registration of citizens began in 2012. 13
12
Program Currently Active: Operational and in use & still actively enrolling as of March, 2015 14,15

Are Changes to the Program Planned or Not Specified
Anticipated:
NATIONAL IDENTITY PROGRAM METHODOLOGY

Mandatory Enrollment: Yes 16 Method of Enrollment / National database; cameras 17,18
Initial Capture:

Physical Creden- Yes (smartcards) 19 Electronic Component Yes 20
tial Involved in Involved in Physical
Authentication: Credential:

Personal Informa- Not specified Photo of Individual on Yes 21
tion Involved in Physical Credential:
Authentication:
Biometric Infor- Fingerprint, eye, digital signature, and photograph 22,23
mation Involved in
Authentication:
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

Level of Coverage: The ID program has been implemented in Dar es Salaam, Coast, Lindi, Morogoro,
Mtwara and Tanga regions of Tanzania mainland and Zanziba,r with Over 6.1 mil-
lion people registered and 1.7 million issued with IDs as of March 2015 (6.8% of
the target population of 25 million). 24

Challenges with enrollment or use of the Not specified
program by the poor:
% of the enrolled who are poor: Not specified

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