NIDS TIMELINE

2000:

National Registration Bill tabled in Parliament.

2006:

Cabinet approves proposal to implement National Identification System (NIDS). National Registration Bill withdrawn for redrafting and resubmission.

2008:

Cabinet recommits to NIDS implementation by 2010.

July 2011:

National Registration Unit moved from Ministry of Health to Office of the Prime Minister.

September 2011:

Grant funding to the tune of US$670,000 secured for preparatory work to implement NIDS.

December 2011:

Cabinet gives approval for development of NIDS policy.

October 10, 2016:

Cabinet approves NIDS policy for tabling in Parliament as a White Paper.

November 8, 2016:

NIDS White Paper tabled.

June 13, 2017:

Prime minister opens debate on the National Identification and Registration Bill.

September 18, 2017:

Lower House passes bill with 100 amendments after two hours of deliberations.

November 13, 2017:

Senate passes bill with 184 amendments after more than 12 hours of deliberations.

November 21, 2017:

Government approves amendments made by Senate, passing the National Identification and Registration Act (NIRA) 2017 in the absence of the parliamentary Opposition.

December 8, 2017:

Inter-American Development Bank approves US$68 million loan for NIDS and other projects.

May 8, 2018:

People’s National Party General Secretary Julian Robinson files an action in the Supreme Court, seeking declarations that sections of the NIRA are unconstitutional.

June 8, 2018:

Case-management conference held to determine hearing dates.

October 22 -24, 2018:

Court hears Robinson’s challenge to the NIRA.

January 2019:

NIDS pilot pushed back to second half of 2019.

April 12, 2019:

Court rules that the NIRA should be struck down.