FROM: tanzanet lists.
| Tanzanian gov’t picks six firms to vie for $153m ID card project | |
| APA -Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) The Tanzania government has finally pre-qualified six companies to vie for a $153 million tender for the country’s national identity card project, APA learns here Saturday. The firms are Unisys of South Africa, Giesecke & Devrient FZE of Dubai, Iris Corporation Berhad of Malaysia, Madras Security Printers of India, Marubeni Corporation in partnership with Zetes and NEC of Japan as well as Tata Consultancy Services in collaboration with Ontrack Innovations Ltd of India. The communication officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Isaac Nantanga, told APA on Saturday that the second phase of the tendering process will be carried out soon. The six companies were selected out of 54 that initially applied for the contract. Two years ago, the government resurrected its bid to implement the ID card project, which has been on the drawing board since 1972 when it was first discussed in parliament. In the latest battle, which involved political heavyweights within the government and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi, the bone of contention was whether to use Smartcard or Barcode technology o produce the cards. According to the former Home Affairs Minister Joseph Mungai, the government planned to spend $153 million in the various stages of the project — starting with awareness campaigns, ID production, field data collection, and registration. Already, a National Identity Card Agency has been set up to administer the project. In 2007, President Jakaya Kikwete said the government was determined to implement the project at any cost, because it is for the benefit of the country. | |
| JGN/daj/APA | |
| 2009-03-07 | |
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