NIR Holds Discussions With NEC, LTA

By R. Joyclyn Wea

The National Identification Registry (NIR) has begun holding talks with the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) for the use of NIR system for 2020 elections as well as the use of national biometric identifications card for registration of mobile sim cards.

Making the disclosure Thursday, September 6, 2018 at the Ministry of Information Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) on Capitol Hill, Monrovia, NIR Director General, J. Tiah Nagbe said it’s believed that the two engagements could have huge impact on their work as a registry.

He stated that the initial signs from these discussions are quite encouraging and hope to give report on the specifics of the agreements by the end of next month October.

Accordingly, DG Nagbe noted that the registration process for all government employees is in progress and had enrolled 14,005 employees and have started registration for county-level employees.

The work is said to be an important part of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning aim at controlling costs because the payroll is the single largest item on the National Budget, costing about US$3000 million annually.

This alleged payroll cleanup with help of the NIR could save Liberian Government not less than US$10 million in this fiscal year.

Nagbe at the same time warned employees of government to show-up for the registration processes as after this exercise, people (government employees) who do not have the national biometric ID Cards will not receive salary payment from the government.

Meanwhile, the NIR had completed biometric registration for the six-two MACs that submitted employees listing of total number of employees that should be working at the head offices of these ministries, agencies, and commissions (MACs).

Director Nagbe disclosed that 5,895 employees constituting thirty-three percent of the central level staff yet to enrolled or compile.