DR Congo cancels biometric national ID contract; Idemia ‘determined to collaborate’
Published: 4/Sep/2024
Source: Biometric Update
by Chris Burt
The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled a $697 million contract to set up a biometric national identity system and deliver ID cards. The contract is held by Afritech, with Idemia as a technology supplier.
The price tag for the ID system and supporting infrastructure had ballooned to $1.2 billion, three times higher than the original estimate from the DR Congo’s ONIP (Office Nationale de l’Identification de la Population), Bloomberg reports.
Bloomberg and Lighthouse had described the contract as being held by a “consortium” made up of Idemia and Afritech, but Idemia Senior Vice President for the Middle East and Africa Olivier Charlanes told Biometric Update in an interview that his company had a contract with Afritech, not a consortium. He acknowledged “inconsistencies” in the contract arrangement, and said that Idemia had asked Afritech to clarify the situation. Idemia was open to all options, Charlanes said, including cancelling its contract.
Now, an Idemia representative has confirmed the cancellation to Biometric Update in an email.
Read further: https://www.biometricupdate.com/202409/dr-congo-cancels-biometric-national-id-contract-idemia-determined-to-collaborate