The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has acquired an Automatic Finger Print Identification System (AFIS) from the French company Sagem, which has the capacity to check at least seven million images of finger prints in one second to eliminate the issuance of duplicate and fake Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs).
French Embassy Counsellor Jean Phillipe, however, did not disclose the total cost of the project due to competition in the international market when the reporters asked him to give actual price of the system.
However, sources inside Nadra told Business Recorder that the authority had purchased the entire system for less than $10 million.
Sagem has sold similar system to other European countries at a cost of $42 million, sources said, adding that at first the French IT firm was even not ready to sell the technology to Nadra for 27 million euros.
The negotiations between the embassy and Nadra started a year back and finally the authority succeeded in buying the system after intervention of the respective governments, the sources added.
The entire system was designed and developed by Sagem.
In this connection, the contract signing ceremony was held here at Nadra Headquarters on Tuesday, which was attended by Nadra Chairman Brigadier Saleem Moeen and Jean Phillipe Quetcy, Economic and Commercial Counsellor in French Embassy.
Sagem Identification System Director Phillipe Lacher and Nadra Projects Director General Brigadier Zubair Ahmed signed the agreement.
Talking to newsmen, Brigadier Saleem Moeen said this system has the capability to match one finger print record with seven million records in one second through Nadra's existing database.
The introduction of AFIS in Nadra, Pakistan will be among the few nations of the world making use of this technology, he added.
Nadra would now have resources to identify any applicant by using its cutting edge technology, thus, eliminating chances of ghost applicants/recipients and safeguarding against fraudulent enrolment and disbursement of national ID cards.
Through Biometric Technology, the registration authority would be able to identify people who may try to apply twice for CNIC with fake particulars from different places, the chairman said.
He said that Nadra has designed the CNICs to combat existing menace of bogus duplicate and multiple identities' record with a number of security features.
The system will also be utilised for preparation of Machine Readable Passport (MRP) to be introduced from September 15, he said.
Briefing the journalists, he said, Nadra had already provided and was ready to provide online CNIC verification facility to all the government departments, passport offices and banks after which no attestation of any person's document would be required.
In addition to finger print identification system, Nadra is also actively working and testing facial recognition system for induction, which will further seal the possibility of fake, bogus and duplicate identity.
To a question, Brigadier Saleem said that the whole technology would be transferred to Nadra in the next four months.
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