200805111259 | National identity card contract should be suspended - Parliament

National identity card contract should be suspended - Parliament

The parliamentary committee on defense and internal affairs if demanding for the suspension of the National population data bank and identification project until the legal matters surrounding the award of contract are settled. The committee recommends that no money should be earmarked for the project until the legal papers are presented and a legal framework instituted to manage the project.

The decision was revealed while the vice chairperson of the defense and internal affairs committee, Jessica Alupo while presenting the national budget framework for the financial year 2008/2009 to the budget committee.

The committee's concern follows a legal suit against government by the contracted company, Face Technologies for the cancellation the contract.

Face technology had been contracted man the national population data bank and identification project by government but was withdrawn after government abandoned the idea.

The identification project was recommended by the committee as Uganda joined four other countries to form the east African community.

However, the committee recommends that the project is suspended until the legal matters are settled and no money is earmarked to the project in the budget.

The committee further recommends that a legal framework is instituted to help manage the supervision of the project.

It further recommends that the directorate of immigration and passport control is availed with 5.6 funding gap as matter of national security.

The defense committee further demands that government avails funds for the national analytical laboratory to purchase chemicals among other things.