THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it has terminated the printing contract for Philippine Identification System cards, or national identification card.
“This is a real problem… the contractor for these IDs has been unable to deliver, so we terminated the contracts,” BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. told reporters. on a forum.
“We are negotiating compensation and at the same time are looking for a new supplier for this contract. But we are working on that problem,” he added.
The central bank is responsible for printing the national ID, while the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) takes charge of collecting the data that goes into the cards.
The central bank is considered a recognized government printer, providing printing management requirements for various agencies, in addition to its primary function of printing banknotes.
The BSP’s card printing supplier is AllCard, Inc.
In a statement on Thursday, the PSA supported the central bank’s decision to use another supplier.
“The PSA relies on the BSP’s assessment and decision to terminate the contract with their supplier for the production of national ID cards,” the report said.
“We reaffirm our continued commitment to providing a reliable and secure national identity system, which ensures that every registered person receives their national identity,” it added.
Lawmakers have expressed concern about the slow production and delivery of the national IDs.
In June, the PSA said the backlog currently stands at 32 million physical cards. It cited the limited capacity of printing facilities.
According to the PSA, a total of 51.6 million PhilIDs have been printed and distributed by the end of May. Meanwhile, 87.6 million citizens have registered for the National ID, with an ultimate goal of 100% registration.
The National ID is seen as a means to achieve greater financial inclusion, with banks forced to accept it as proof of identity instead of the old practice of requiring multiple IDs.
The ID restrictions are believed to have prevented millions of Filipinos from opening bank accounts and joining the formal economy. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson