New NRCs coming in June

The Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship is expected to introduce a new type of National Registration Cards (NRC) next month.

National Registrar General Mathews Nyirongo said the new National Registration Cards (NRC), which will be bio-metric with a chip, will contain additional security features such as finger prints to reduce fraud on the document.

Mr. Nyirongo told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the new NRC will be used concurrently with the old ones for some time.

He explained that after carrying out a successful tender evaluation, the department shortlisted three foreign bidders for the contract of issuing new NRCs.

He said the project is sponsored by the United National Development Programme.

Mr. Nyirongo said the programme of issuing new National Registration Cards was a long process which will be carried out in three phases.

He said Lusaka province will be in the first phase followed by all provincial centres and lastly by all districts.

He said soon after the tender is awarded, the department will embark of a sensitization tour across the country to educate the citizens on the credibility of the new NRC as compared to the old ones.

He observed that the current NRC has been vulnerable to fraud as perpetrators of the act have found it easy to open and refill or disfigure the face on the NRC and replace it with a fake one.

Mr. Nyirongo said the current National Registration Cards’ security was compromised thereby lowering the integrity of the card.