Holness gets first NIDS card to be printed

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has led by example in having his National Identification System (NIDS) card printed as the first one in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon.

Holness' card was printed immediately after the NIDS' Technical Pilot launch ceremony, which took place at the Jamaica Post's Central Sorting Office in downtown, Kingston, where the first NIDS location has now been established. 

Holness chose to have his NIDS card printed first in an effort to demonstrate to all Jamaicans that registering for NIDS is safe, given that some remain sceptical regarding whether their personal information will be safeguarded under the initiative. 

Months after the NIDS Bill was initially passed in the parliament, the Government received backlash from numerous Jamaicans, including the Opposition's People's National Party (PNP), which successfully brought a constitutional challenge of certain aspects of the legislation.

It then took two and a half years for a recrafted Bill to be passed in the parliament. 

"Over the past years, we have taken the time to craft a new policy and law that is in keeping with the Supreme Court's ruling, and I believe that we have done so very well," Holness said at the launch.

"We have put in place a framework to protect the data collected under the NIDS. We have embedded into law serious consequences for data breaches. Most importantly, however, the NIDS is subject to the Data Protection Act," he added. 

- Ainsworth Morris

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