Gambia: Over 232,000 Gambians Issued Biometric ID Cards Since 2018
Published: 1/Jul/2020
Source: FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
By Momodou Jarju
Over two hundred and thirty-two thousand Biometric Identification Cards have been issued to Gambians since the commencement of the issuance of the document in October 2018, the Minister of Interior, Yankuba Sonko told lawmakers in Banjul on Wednesday.
Minister Sonko remark was in response to the question raised by Halifa Sallah, Serrekunda lawmaker, who asked him to quantify how many new ID Cards have been issued since registration commenced and how many would be issued at end of 2020.
In response, the minister said his ministry through the Department of Immigration has since the commencement of the registration of new ID Cards in October 2018; issued 232, 721 biometric ID Cards.
Of this figure, he said 141, 396 were issued to males and 91, 327 females.
“During this period under review, a total of 219 refusals were made and referral of 4, 475 applicants. The total number of ID Cards produced for the year 2020 from January to May, including April was 51, 986. Therefore, the average monthly production stands at 13, 000 Cards during the said period covering the 7 production centers,” he said.
He said over one hundred million dalasis (D104, 724, 450) has been generated from the D450 payments. In addition, D98, 550 is gained from the 219 refusals made, he said.
The total money, as per the total issuance as well as those refused issuance is D104, 823, 000.
Given the above statistics, Minister Sonko said it is projected that about 200, 000 ID Cards will be produced by the end of 2020. And with the new additional four centers they have identified for operation plus the expected relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions, they are sure of reaching 200, 000 ID Cards by end of 2020.
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