The institutional framework for registration and identification of persons in Tanzania.

 

1. Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) is responsible for organizing and supervising the system for identification, registration and issuance of National Identification Cards/Numbers to every citizen of United Republic of Tanzania and foreigners who has attained the age of 18 years and above[1]. To achieve its goals, MoHA is responsible for overseeing the performance of the National Identification Authority an entity with the responsibilities to manage the whole process of registration and issuance of NID Cards/Numbers to citizen. The roles and responsibilities of the two institutions responsible for registration and issuance of national identification cards are discussed herein below[2];

2. National Identification Authority (NIDA).

The National Identification Authority was established for the first time in 2008 under The Registration and Identification of Persons Act[3] with the duty to create and maintain the National Population Register and issue National Identification Cards to eligible Tanzanian citizens and residents who are non-citizens living in the United Republic of Tanzania. The main objectives of National Identification Authority are to:

(a) determine citizenship of individuals and register their identity information;

(b) provide identification document; and

(c) Manage and establish an ID database and provide reliable accessible and useful information to selected stakeholders.

For the purpose to implement the above objectives properly, National Identification Authority is made up of three Departments and 1 Unit that directly perform the tasks related to the application and issuance of NID Cards. These three departments and a Unit are described below;

ID Management Directorate; The Directorate is mandated to make sure that, all citizens of Tanzania and non-citizens who are eligible, who have attained the age of 18 are identified, registered and issued with NID cards. The directorate is responsible for the entire registration exercise, printing of NID cards and distribution to the citizens, coordination between NIDA and other public agencies i.e RITA in gathering necessary information for registration processes etc. The directorate is also mandated to monitor any other activity necessary for registration and issuance of NID Cards and supervisory duty over other directories.[4]

Management Information System Directorate; This Directorate is assigned a duty to design, install and manage information system for identification and registration of citizens and other supporting systems. This Directorate manages all NIDA’s networks and database, Information sharing and security which ensures consistency of information’s at all times. The directorate is responsible in maintaining IT infrastructure, to enable easy access and sharing of information between registration agents and offices in verification of identities of individuals, also to handle sharing of information between NIDA and other public institutions in need to access and use NIDA database. They are also responsible to protect the registration system against malware and to maintain security and privacy of data already stored in NIDA database against unlawful access and use. Most of activities which are done in this directorate are those which involves the use of IT and computer-based technology at large.[5]

Planning and Budget Directorate; The Directorate is responsible for planning, budgeting and Estate Management. It is also charged with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of Authority’s activities. This directorate is responsible for making plans concerning implementation of NIDA activities and to make several strategies in implementing objectives which establishes NIDA. The directorate is responsible in arranging budget which is applicable in conducting NIDA activities, they deal with all assets owned by NIDA and they manage the offices of NIDA country wide.

District Coordination Unit; The Unit is responsible for coordinating the Authority’s operations in the District Offices both in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. The unit is responsible in all arrangements of NIDA in a district, they are responsible to prepare registration posts in the district, registration and issuance of ID cards, they are also responsible to all movements of NIDA agents in a district and they are mandated to provide education to the citizens on the benefits of being registered under NIDA. In providing education, they are the one who are responsible in the entire preparations and carrying of education session.

The Immigration Services.

The Immigration services department is established under section 4(1) of the Immigration Act, and the department is given a number of functions include to control and facilitate Immigration issues in the United Republic of Tanzania and the department is under control of The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA)[6]. Section 12 of the Immigration Act[7] provides the general duties and responsibilities of Immigration Officers in relation to application and issuance of NID Cards as follows:

(a) Facilitate, control and grant citizenship to qualified alien immigrants;

(b) Facilitate and assist the issuance of national identity cards through verification of citizenship of the applicant; and to

(c)Remove all prohibited, unwanted or undesirable immigrants

One must clearly understand that, a foreigner cannot be issued with national identification card without first being given residence permit or citizenship by Immigration. NIDA works very close to other government institution particularly Immigration department in case of issuing national identifications cards to non-nationals. All procedures for acquiring residence permit are stipulated by regulations and rules made under The Immigration Act and are available on Immigration services department’s website. Any foreigner who has residential permit or citizenship, is entitled to possess national identity card.

3. key players in registration and identification of persons

3.1 Citizens

Citizens are the key players of identification systems, both as the data subjects of these systems and the end-users who depends on identification to protect and claim their rights to access services. All individuals aged 18 years and above are qualified to be registered and issued with the National Identification Cards as the citizens of United Republic of Tanzania. The following are the criteria ought to be met by eligible citizen in order to qualify for the registration and issuance of National Identifications Cards Cards;

-Complete and submit registration forms so as to initiate registration process and taking of biometric information from them.

-Within six months, receive a National Identification Card from the Authority.

3.2 Zanzibar Civil Status Registration Agency.

Zanzibar Civil Status Registration Agency is responsible for recording information on vital life events, such as births and deaths, issues relevant certificates as proof of such registration, and compiles and distributes vital statistics, such as cause of deaths information (and where migration data is also available can produce population).

3.3 Regional Secretariats (RS) and Local Government Authorities (LGAs)

Regulation 14 of the Registration and Identification of Persons Regulations[8] requires Regional Commissioners, District Commissioners, District Executive Officers, Ward Executive Officers, Sheha and Village Executive Officers to make sure that all individuals eligible for registration under their areas of jurisdictions are registered and issued with registration documents to that effect.

To meet those obligations imposed by a regulation above, the guidelines and standard operating procedures for application and Issuance of NID Cards require the following to be performed by Local Government Authorities;

(a) To co-ordinate or co-operate with NIDA during entire registration process and to ensure proper form filling and proper attachment of required documents by applicants;

(b) To appoint a premise near citizens to allow eligible persons’ participation during registration process;

(c) To facilitate proper handling of objections raised at Village or Ward level; and

(d) To ensure timely dissemination of NID Cards to registered applicants residing in their districts/wards/villages.

There are other stakeholders who are the beneficiaries of the data/information collected by NIDA since they use those data to conduct their activities. Those stakeholders who are beneficiaries to NIDA data includes;

Financial institutions who are legally required to provide their services to registered citizens who use registered names and possesses NID Cards.  It is the requirement of the law that in order to access Financial Services such as Opening a Bank Account that every adult Tanzanian should use National Identification Cards as a proof of residential status, citizenship, birth and other personal information.

Telecommunication companies who depend on NIDA data to process Biometric SIM-Cards registration. The Electronic and Postal Communications (SIM Card Registration) Regulations (the SCR Regulations)[9] make it mandatory for all SIM card users in the nation to register their SIM cards biometrically. The biometric registration of SIM card cannot be done if a SIM-Card user is not registered with NIDA, so it is necessary for individuals to be registered with NIDA before they can register their SIM-Cards biometrically. Tanzania has a total of 7 mobile companies with an estimated 43,497,261 subscribers hence they form part of an important stakeholder who cannot be left without adding comments or support to the entire registration and usage of NIDA data.

Other regulatory bodies such as TCRA and BRELA depends on NIDA data in processing customers applications.  TCRA depends on NIDA Data during registration of SIM-Cards, and registration of telecommunication and postal service providers. BRELA depends on NIDA data when processing client’s applications on registration of business names, companies, trademarks, copyright etc.

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[1]Ministry of home affairs, “kujenga na kusimamia mfumo wa utambuzi na usajili wa watu na kutoa vitambulisho vya taifa, available at <http://www.moha.go.tz/sw/services/kujenga-na-kusimamia-mfumo-wautambuzi-na-usajili-wa-watu-na-kutoa-vitambulisho-vya-taifa> accessed January 1, 2022.

[2] National Audit Office, “registration and issuance of national identification cards by NIDA” available at <https://www.nao.go.tz/uploads/Registration_and_Issuance_of_National_Identification_Cards_by_NIDA.pdf> accessed January 1, 2022

[3] NIDA, “kuhusu NIDA”, available at < https://nida.go.tz/swahili/index.php/kuhusu-nida/> accessed January 1, 2022

[4] ibid

[5] Ibid

[6]The immigration, “About Immigration Department “, available at <https://www.immigration.go.tz/index.php/about-us> accessed January 1, 2022

[7] Ibid

[8] ibid

[9] The Electronic and Postal Communications (SIM Card Registration) Regulations (the SCR Regulations) of 2020