Kibaha. The government is preparing to table the Infant Registration Bill in the next Parliament, a move that will allow the National Identification Authority (Nida) to begin registering children from birth.
The initiative aims to lay a strong foundation for early citizen identification, facilitate access to social services, and strengthen national security systems.
If the Bill is passed, children will be registered and assigned identification numbers to enable access to various social services, and be issued national ID cards using the same numbers upon turning 18.
Speaking on Saturday, January 3, 2025, at the 28th session of the Nida Staff Council held in Kibaha, Nida Director General James Kaji said registering infants would ensure children are legally recognised from the start of their lives and eliminate challenges that often arise when registering adults.
He added that the initiative would also make it easier for citizens to access healthcare, education, insurance, and other social services, while providing accurate population data to help the government plan and implement development programmes efficiently.
Mr Kaji also urged more than 300,000 citizens whose identification cards have already been processed to collect them from their respective district offices, noting that delays in collecting IDs lead to losses for the government and deny citizens the opportunity to use the documents to access services.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Ally Gugu, emphasised the importance of professionalism, integrity, and public service ethics among Nida staff, while encouraging collaboration among government institutions to enhance accountability and service delivery to citizens.
Some Coast Region residents, including Ms Swaumu Mfyome, called on Nida to step up public education and awareness campaigns on ready IDs, urging citizens to collect and use them.
They said this would help the government avoid unnecessary losses.
