Page 157 - The Digital Financial Services (DFS) Ecosystem

ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services
Ecosystem

Challenges with enrollment or use of the Yes – enrollment assistance to citizens in need – such as the sick, those with lan-
program by other populations: guage barriers, the physically-handicapped and the elderly – is not being provided
in all areas. Prisoners are not eligible to enroll. 20

Cost/Person: Not specified
Challenges with Implementation or Program: Accountability: There are reports of officials soliciting money from Ugandans
seeking to register for national identity cards. Serious procurement problems
21
delayed the project in 2010, as several former ministers were accused of violat-
ing procurement laws by awarding contracts to a private supplier without a due
diligence process. 22,23
Enrollment: In rural registration centers, staff are reported to be ill-trained on
24
effective use of biometric enrollment kits. Cost: The short implementation
period for the large-scale registration and enrollment of citizens created labor
and cost considerations that delayed the project. 25
Process for responding to implementation Micro-Level (Individual Issues):
challenges: • Handicapped or sick individuals can report challenges getting to registration;
however, no processes are in place to assist those individuals to physically travel
to registration centers. 26
Macro-Level (Systematic Issues):
• To address the problem of bribery, Internal Affairs has directed police to arrest
local leaders and officials soliciting money from registrants. 27

FUNCTIONAL USES OF PROGRAM

Financial Services
• KYC: National identity cards are becoming a requirement at financial institutions to open bank accounts and acquire loans. 28
• Social Transfers: NSIS plans to integrate the national ID with social security benefits delivery. 29
Health
• Tracking services and treatment: NSIS plans to integrate National Health Service & Hospitals Delivery – NHIS and patient man-
agement with the ID card. 30
Verification of eligibility/coverage/benefits: NSIS is linked to the Microcare Medical Access Treatment Card (MTAC). 31
Election

• Voting: the national identity card is required in national elections to vote. Voter list generation and voter verification (smart
elections) are planned to be integrated with the national ID cards when implementation is complete. 32
Surveillance and Security
• Border management: border management will be integrated with the national ID. 33
• Passport: the national ID doubles as a passport for travel between East African Community member countries. 34
Other Functions
• Education: by 2017, Ugandan citizens will be unable to access school for his/her children without proof of identification using
the National Identity Card. 35
• Civil Service Tracking: biometric information on all government employees is contained within NSIS. Public employees must
have a national ID in order to access payroll.
• Taxes: the Ugandan revenue authority is expected to utilize the NSIS registry for more “effective taxation targeting.” National
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identity cards are mentioned in a 2010 World Bank report as having potential to reduce tax evasion in Uganda. 37
3
1 United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development, 2010, Ibid., National Information Technology
2
Authority – NITA Uganda, 2015, Ibid., Committee-on-Defense, Parliament of Uganda, 2015, Ibid., Tentena, 2015, National
7
8
5
6
4
9
Security Information System, 2015b, National Security Information System, 2015c, The Independent Reporter, 2014, Mwesi-
11
10
14
15
13
16
12
gye, & Nangonzi, 2014, Uganda Convention UK, 2014, ibid., Mwesigye, 2013, Uganda Convention UK, 2014, National
18
Security Information System, 2015b, The State House of Uganda, 2014, National Security Information System, 2015a,
19
17
23
22
20
21
Mwesigye & Nangonzi, 2014, Ibid., Nyakairima, 2014, Gelb & Clark, 2013, Committee-on-Defense, Parliament of Uganda,
27
28
29
24
25
26
2015, Mwesigye & Nangonzi, 2014, Gelb & Clark, 2013, Mwesigye & Nangonzi, 2014, Nyakairima, 2014, Ibid., Uganda
31
Convention UK, 2014, Ibid., Gelb & Clark, 2013, Ministry of Finance, The Government of Uganda, 2014, Uganda Conven-
30
32
33
35
36
34
37
tion UK, 2014, President of the Republic of Uganda, 2015, Uganda Convention UK, 2014, Ibid., World Bank, 2010.
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