The Bank of Jamaica has given National Commercial Bank (NCB) the approval to pursue three use cases that integrate the services of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
Those being pursued by the Bank are face-to-face deposit account on-boarding, online deposit account onboarding with biometric authentication and Know Your Customer (KYC) remediation.
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2023/24 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 16).
“This is a massive game changer. What it means is that when we get the national identification system up and running, the NCB has the authority to open online accounts using the NIDS, open accounts without people having to go into the bank to get that done,” he said.
The Minister also informed that the NIRA is being operationalised this calendar year.
“We are in the final stages of composing the first ever NIRA Board, with most of the recommendations already being made. The Prime Minister will make an announcement in short order in relation to the Board,” he informed.
Mr. Green also announced that the National Identification and Registration Inspectorate (NIRI) is being operationalised and will be done through the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.
“It is important to note that NIRI will provide independent oversight in terms of protecting the privacy and confidentiality of an individual’s identity,” he stated.
Regarding the NIDS Regulations, Minister Green said the Chief Parliamentary Counsel is in the process of finalising on the regulations, “and I expect that before the end of this month the regulations would be tabled”.
Meanwhile, over the next six months, the Government will be ramping up its public education campaign about the usefulness of the National ID and the plans for islandwide rollout.
“Already we have started on-the-ground engagements, and we will be utilising traditional and social media engagements to spread the word. I am saying to Members of Parliament, we are willing to have town halls and school visits to remind people how the national identification will make their lives better,” Mr. Green said.