The Democratic Republic of Congo has terminated a substantial $1.2 billion initiative aimed at establishing a nationwide biometric identification system. This decision comes in the wake of serious allegations concerning financial misconduct associated with the project.
Richard Ilunga, who heads the Congo’s National Office for Population Identification (ONIP), announced the cancellation of the agreement with Idemia, a French company specializing in biometrics. Idemia was contracted to develop a civil registry and produce identification cards, working alongside the intermediary company Afritech. The termination of the contract was officially declared on August 12, 2024.
While Ilunga did not explicitly cite the reasons for discontinuing the contract, he did reference that the decision to abandon the project was made subsequent to consultations with various governmental bodies and delegates from the Idemia-Afritech consortium.
This move follows investigative reports by Bloomberg and Lighthouse, released on August 9, which exposed the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the national ID system to benefit a select group of influential individuals.
According to the investigation, from the year 2020, approximately 60 firms had proposed their plans to the government for the implementation of the biometric system. ONIP’s initial cost projection for the project was about $360 million. Nevertheless, the cost estimate escalated to a staggering $1.2 billion when Idemia and its local partner Afritech were eventually selected as the preferred vendors, significantly exceeding ONIP’s original budget by over threefold.
The proposed arrangement with Idemia and Afritech has been criticized for “flagrant overpricing,” leading to concerns that the contract could potentially devolve into an extensive fraudulent scheme.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ambitious $1.2 billion project to establish a comprehensive national biometric identification system has been scrapped, following months of scrutiny over financial irregularities. This decision was confirmed by Richard Ilunga, the Director General of Congo’s National Office for Population Identification (ONIP), who stated that the contract with French biometrics firm Idemia was terminated on August 12, 2024.
Idemia, in collaboration with the intermediary Afritech, was tasked with creating a civil registry and manufacturing ID cards. Although Ilunga did not provide specific reasons for the contract’s termination, he noted that the decision followed discussions with various government entities and representatives from the Idemia-Afritech partnership.
This development comes shortly after investigative reports by Bloomberg and Lighthouse, which highlighted potential mismanagement of funds allocated for the national ID system, suggesting that the project’s resources were being diverted to benefit a select group of elites.
The project’s financial trajectory raised eyebrows from its inception. Initially, the ONIP estimated the system’s cost at around $360 million. However, the figure ballooned to $1.2 billion when Idemia and Afritech were selected, raising concerns about possible “flagrant overpricing” and fears of a “massive scam.”
Complicating matters, the World Bank, which was approached by the country’s Ministry of Finance for financial assistance with the project, declined to provide funding due to the lack of a competitive tendering process.
The saga of DR Congo’s national ID system has been fraught with challenges for years. The country made an attempt to transition to plastic ID cards between 1984 and 1987, but the initiative was never fully realized. The absence of a functional national identification system has significantly hindered citizens’ ability to open bank accounts, secure official documents, and register to vote.
In lieu of a national ID, citizens of voting age have resorted to registering at special centers to receive a makeshift ID card featuring a photo and QR code, which for many, serves as their sole form of official identification. Despite these setbacks, ONIP remains committed to improving the situation. On August 23, 2024, the agency announced its intention to relaunch the issuance of National ID cards soon, signaling a renewed effort to address the longstanding issue of identification in the country.
