Papua New Guinea’s government aims to register all citizens in the National Identity (NID) card system by the nation’s 50th anniversary on September 16, 2025. Despite a decade-long effort, only 36% of the population is currently registered, with just 1.2 million individuals receiving ID cards.
Prime Minister James Marape announced in January the goal of full registration by the anniversary date. However, Andrew Anton Mako, an academic at the University of Papua New Guinea collaborating with the Australian National University, expressed doubts about achieving this target.
“The NID programme was established in November 2014, so it’s 10 years now,” Mako said. “I wouldn’t know the mechanics of the delay, why it has taken this long for the project to not deliver on the outcomes, but I can say a lot of money has been invested into the programme.”
Mako highlighted that by the end of this year, the government will have spent approximately 500 million kina (over NZ$211 million) on the programme, yet only 30 to 40 percent of the population has been registered. He emphasized, “It’s not possible to register the entire country, the rest of the country, in just six, seven or eight months.”
The NID system was intended to streamline business processes and provide a standardized form of identification for employment and other services. While initially well-received, public enthusiasm has waned due to prolonged delays and implementation challenges.
Mako also pointed out that the funds allocated to the NID programme could have addressed pressing issues in sectors like law and order, health, and education. He noted, “Those important sectors have actually fallen over the years. So that 500 million kina would have been better spent.”
As the September deadline approaches, the feasibility of achieving complete national registration remains uncertain, raising questions about the programme’s future direction and resource allocation.
