Min. of Interior Responds to Askanwi’s Request for Information on Issuance of National Documents
Interior Minister Hon Abdoulie Sanyang © National Assembly
By Askanwi Media
After submitting a request for information to the Ministry of Interior back in 12th November 2024, the Ministry of Interior has finally responded to our questions today 23rd December 2024.
Our request was for information on the issuance of national identification documents. One week after submitting the request in person, our reporter made a follow-up in person to the Ministry of Interior, but the information was not provided, and neither was our request acknowledged.
Exactly a month later, Askanwi Editor contacted the Minister for Information, Media, and Broadcast Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, who managed to get information to our medium, highlighting responses from the Minister of Interior, Hon. Abdoulie Sanyang.
According to the response, the Ministry of Interior had “started printing the two remaining cards, i.e., the national ID and the resident card, since Monday [9th December, and are] currently --- trying to work over time so as to clear the backlog”.
In addition, Dr. Ceesay noted that the “PS Interior is working on a formal response." After receiving this informal response on 11th December, Askanwi finally received the said formal response today, 23rd December 2024.
Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay © Askanwi
After waiting another five days, the publication was eventually published on Monday, 16th December 2024, on FactCheck Gambia and Askanwi Media in the link below.
PROMISE METER: Did the Issuance of National ID Card Commence in August as Promised?
To give more context to the responses from the Ministry of Interior, each answer is preceded with the question asked.
Q1. When will the printing of national ID cards resume?
A1. The printing of the national ID Cards has resumed.
Q2. Given that the Semlex contract was for National ID Cards, Passports, Drivers Licenses and Residence Permits how comes National ID Cards was most affected?
A2. The SEMLEX Contract Agreement ended in March, 2024. This Agreement covered the production of the Biometric National ID Card, Drivers License, Non-Gambian ID Card, Resident Permit and Alien Card respectively.
The processing of the above documents ceased temporarily as a result of the expiration of the contract agreement between the Government of the Gambia and Semlex.
However, the production of passports was never done under the contract agreement with Semlex. The Gambia Biometric passports are produced by AFRICARD and this has never stopped since commencement.
Q3. Has an agreement been reached with any other institution for the production of national documents?
A3. There is no agreement reached with any company. Nonetheless, [the] government has gone far to finding a durable solution for sustainability purposes.
Editors Note:
While we thank the Ministry of Interior and the Minister for Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services for responding to our request, we wish to highlight that the Ministry of Interior failed to acknowledge receipt of our request as dictated by the Access to Information Act.
In addition, the Ministry of Interior failed to adhere to the 21-day reply dictated by the Access to Information Act to respond by either providing information or responding to clarify why the information requested cannot be provided.
We thank Information Minister Dr. Ceesay for his intervention and call on all government officials and information holders to comply with the Access to Information Act by complying with the spirit of proactive disclosure.
