In the proposed revamping process of the Mauritius National Identity Cards (MNIC) System, Government will also upgrade the System to a state-of-the-art one which will provide a wider spectrum of customised e-services thereby further facilitating the daily activities of citizens. Such Smart cards are already being used in countries like Belgium, Finland, Germany, Estonia and France.
This information was provided, today in the National Assembly, by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Jumar Jugnauth, in reply to a Parliamentary Question pertaining to the revamping of the MNIC System.
He informed that a Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and a Technical Committee chaired by the Secretary for Home Affairs have been set up to closely monitor compliance with all the required technical and legal requirements of the project.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister said that wide consultations are presently being held with all concerned stakeholders. Considerable progress has been made with regard to the preparation of the specifications and the procurement strategy to be adopted on the basis of the existing MNIC system, procurement legislation, and the judgments of the Supreme Court and the Privy Council as well as the European Data Protection Supervisor Opinion 7/2018 of August 2018, he added. The new system is expected to be operational by December 2023, he stated.
He dwelt on the necessity of revamping the MNIC system since the usual lifetime of such IT equipment is between five to seven years. Hence, after almost eight years of operation, it has become necessary to revamp the existing MNIC system as the current hardware and software of the whole system will soon reach their end-of-support and end-of-life, he said.
Prime Minister Jugnauth indicated that the stock of the existing card is expected to last up to December 2023. This revamping exercise, he highlighted, will ensure that a national identity card is made available to each eligible citizen, whilst ensuring that we keep pace with the latest technology and the development of new international practice with regards to the use of biometric data.
Collection and retention of biometric data in the National ID Cards Scheme 2013
As regards measures that will be taken in connection with the decision dated 21 July 2021 by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) on the collection and retention of biometric data in the National Identity Cards Scheme 2013, the Prime Minister highlighted that an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been set up. This committee will be chaired by the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, and comprises the Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security; the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation; as well as other officials and co-opted members as and when required to.
The Committee, he indicated, will come up with recommendations and prepare the response to be made to the UNHRC, within the time limit.
He recalled that the UNHRC has requested the State of Mauritius to provide Mr Madhewoo, who had lodged a court case before the Supreme Court during the implementation phase of the MNIC system in 2013, with an effective remedy and sufficient guarantees against the risk of arbitrariness and abuse of his fingerprints data that may arise from the issuance of an identity card to him. Mauritius, he stated, is also required to review the ground for storing and retaining fingerprint data on identity card in light of the UNHRC Views and to take steps to avoid similar violations in the future.
