Lt. General Hilal bin Khalid al-Ma'wali, Inspector-General of Police and Customs, signed an agreement with Gemplus International SA to install an automated civil register for the Civil Status Public Administration.
Al Ma'wali said under the agreement, the Gemplus would install an advanced computerised system for entering civil actions for citizens and residents in Oman. He said implementation of the project would start late next year.
Al Ma'wali noted the system would allow for recording of all personal details and issuing pertinent certificates. This is in addition to entry of birth and death cases for foreign residents and also registering marriages and divorces if a partner is Omani citizen, he added.
He said that the agreement provided for the implementation of a comprehensive solution to the national identification system in the form of the smart card which, he said, would open the door to operating the system of e-government.
The card, he said, would record important personal details such as educational qualifications, employment status, details of work and medical record. It also serves as a multi-purpose card and could be used as an ID, a voting card, a driving licence and to withdraw money, which would be in conjunction with financial institutions.
He added that the project, including premises, manpower and training, would cost a total of 11.5 million Omani riyals. A building to accommodate the project would be constructed at the Airport Heights, near which an integrated complex for passports and immigration would also be built.
Al Ma'wali said stations would be set up in some wilayats to facilitate provision of civil status services to citizens and residents.
He said with the signing of the agreement, the Sultanate would be the first Arab country to introduce a machine – read smart card with stored thumb print that serves as personal identifier.
He pointed out that provisions of the agreement also included issuing of more than 1.5 million cards.
Colonel Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Director-General of Civil Status at Royal Oman Police, said the old building of the customs Directorate-General would be used temporarily by the Civil Status Directorate until the new building at the air port heights was completed.
Quelle: Gulf News
