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Banks to help Home Affairs issue smart ID

Source: – Fin24, 01/10/2015


Banks to help Home Affairs issue smart ID
01 October, 2015
The Department of Home Affairs has launched its Smart ID pilot
programme with FNB, Standard Bank, ABSA and Nedbank where you will be
able to get your Smart ID from these banks provided you are a customer
of the bank.
Gigaba and the department's director general, Mkhuseli Apleni, visited
Standard Bank and First National Bank head offices on Wednesday in
Johannesburg to check on progress by the two institutions.
The e-channel website will be the first step in applying for your new
ID. "As soon as that application is completed it is sent
electronically to government for printing".
The plan is for citizens to apply and pay for the smart ID cards on a
Home Affairs web portal and then collect them at the bank branch.
The online eChannel will begin its pilot phase by the end of this year
and is expected to be launched early next year.
"The project to issue passports to bank clients will be piloted by
Nedbank [this month]".
FNB CEO Jaqcues Cilliers said the process was easier as the employees
were easily identified by the bank's system.
Mokgola confirmed that the application process would be the same as if
applying at DHA itself, with collections also being processed at the
respective banks.
"We would not have such capacity as the banks, so this is helping the
department in sharing this national responsibility".
However, passports do not form part of the pilot. There were no cash
transactions, applicants paid the R140 fee though speed points, said
Celliers. The centres are closed on weekends and public holidays, but
once the pilots are over, the centres will be open during normal Home
Affairs operating hours.
"The beauty of the ID card and passport is that they are both produced
in South Africa; of course we have secured the technology overseas but
it's owned by the State all together".


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