How home affairs plans to collect and use your personal data
BusinessTech recently featured an article on some of the concerns surrounding the ANC’s “Peace and Stability” discussion document .
One of the key proposals of the document is a complete restructuring of Home Affairs, taking steps towards becoming completely self-sustainable.
This would include raising its own funds in a National Social Security Fund (NSSF) through an increase in fees currently charged for IDs, passports, birth and death certificates as well as a new nation-wide form of identity “vetting”.
This vetting will see you charged anywhere between a R1 and R4 for some day-to-day transactions requiring proof of identity (airline tickets, school registrations, hospital check-ins and social grant collection), which are then verified biometrically through Home Affairs to confirm legitimacy.
In addition the new vetting model would give government access to you personal data to better help with service delivery through policy, legal, research and statistical analysis.
This will also become a key source of revenue, according to the document, with “the sale of identity services and products (being) another large revenue stream, with potential partners including GPW, the CSIR and private sector companies.”
Following the policy document’s discussion at the ANC’s National conference, Home Affairs spokesperson David Hlabane has since explained to BusinessTech exactly how the new system will work.
Q: When cane we expect the restructuring and new biometric systems?
A: Within two to three years.
Hlabane confirmed that cabinet had approved a business case for repositioning the DHA from routine administration to “a strategic enabler of service delivery, security, efficient government and economic development” on 1 March 2017.
Cabinet also confirmed it would be positioned within the security system of the state, using of biometrics replacing the existing National Population Register with a comprehensive database of citizens and all other nationalities.
“Already, all enabling documents such as IDs and passports, have to be applied for and collected by the individual citizen concerned and their identity is checked on-line by “live capture” of her or his biometrics,” said Hlabane.
“Biometrics at key ports of entry have been piloted and the intention is to roll the system out for all travellers at all ports within two to three years.”
Q: How far away are the verification charges and other proposals?
A: Policy and legislation is expected to be finalised in 2018.
The repositioning requires new legislation and systems as well as new operating and funding models that are managed by professional staff, said Hlabane.
He noted that these developments have been underway for several years, with 4.1 million smart ID cards already having been issued by 31 March 2017, alongside 179 offices and 12 bank branches (ABSA, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank) which are fully equipped with digital processing of IDs and passports as well as online services.
He confirmed that the drafting of new policy and legislation regarding the DHA will be completed in 2018, with the public invited to make substantive submissions on the Discussion Paper by the end of September 2017.
Within 3 years, key elements such as automated registration of births, marriages and deaths and a new digital visa and permit system. The National Identity System will be launched in the same time frame and be fully functional within five years.
“Old organisational and operational models will be replaced through large-scale retraining programmes and a critical number of professionals will be on the staff. All aspects of repositioning Home Affairs will be completed within ten years.”
Q: Where and when will the new verification charges apply?
A: Will be determined through public discussions.
While Hlabane didn’t give an exact date or the types of transactions that will be verified, he did confirm that like all other legislation it would be informed by stakeholder and public discussion.
“By the time the National Identity and related systems come on line and can support a large number of interfaces the intention is to have robust policy and governance arrangements in place,” he said.
Speaking on how the increased money will benefit Home Affairs, Hlabanae noted that the ID number has been a key field in most payment, tax, licensing and security systems across the state and the economy.”
“Through an agreement signed with SABRIC, the DHA has been levying a charge against verification done at the request of banks although the scale has been limited.”
“The systems being built by the DHA have the potential to drastically reduce fraud and enable large efficiency gains across the economy. These systems will cost more to maintain, secure and manage, but the savings effected are likely to be much greater than the fees charged across millions of transactions,” he said.
Q: How much will ID and Passport application fees increase?
A: Will follow a review – but first issue of some documents will stay free.
Alongside the new funding models, the discussion document also proposed that Home Affairs would see increased revenue through an increase in the cost of ID, Passport, certificates and other documentation.
“Any such increase will follow the periodic reviews that take place from time to time with National Treasury on a cost-recovery basis with first issues of some documents being free.”
“The general principle is to try and keep fees as low as possible for the poor and vulnerable, with full cost recovery from those who can afford it.”
“Premium services would attract higher costs and these will enable this policy to be sustained and to maintain acceptable levels of efficiency and security.”
Read: Home Affairs wants to start collecting and selling your personal data – and charging for it
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