Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has approved a special one-year permit allowing Tanzanians to correct their National Identification Authority (NIDA) information, starting October 25, targeting 18,300 individuals whose records were affected by inaccurate or fraudulent documents.
Speaking to the media in Dar es Salaam yesterday, NIDA’s Director General James Kaji said the permit was introduced to support individuals who previously faced challenges due to forged certificates, borrowed names or misinformation submitted to various institutions.
He explained that NIDA issues three categories of identification cards, citizenship IDs, resident (foreigner) IDs, and refugee IDs and the correction window is open to all categories provided that applicants follow the required procedures.
“This permission has been provided by the government to ensure that those with document-related problems can correct their information by following the required steps,” he said.
He added: “We encourage people to come forward and provide accurate details, because this process is meant to help them.”
According to him, the special permit particularly targets people who used fake birth certificates, individuals dismissed from employment for using false names and those who used other people’s names to obtain academic qualifications.
He said the government introduced the window as an act of compassion, acknowledging that many citizens had been trapped in the system with incorrect personal data.
Applicants are required to visit district NIDA offices with supporting documents, including parents’ certificates, a RITA-verified birth certificate, academic certificates and any additional documents requested by NIDA officers.
“Only applications that meet the required criteria will be processed, and all submissions from district offices will be handled at NIDA headquarters,” he said.
He reminded the public to provide valid information when registering with NIDA, noting that giving false details or committing fraud during registration is an offence under the Registration and Identification of Persons Act.
Mr Kaji stressed that individuals seeking corrections must bring both mandatory and supplementary documents as directed, including original academic certificates, a verified birth certificate from RITA, a deed poll published in the government gazette and any other document required by NIDA offices.
He also revealed that more than 80,000 NIDA cards remain uncollected across district offices nationwide and urged citizens to pick up their cards promptly.
Regarding service fees, he clarified that the entire correction process under the special one-year permit is free of charge. Costs only apply to those who have lost their identification cards or those requesting changes not covered under the special approval.
NIDA continues to fulfil its core mandate of registering and identifying people, issuing national IDs to eligible citizens, resident foreigners, refugees and settlers, while ensuring that personal information is updated in accordance with the law, regulations and established guidelines.
Govt allows citizens to amend NIDA details Continued from Page 1 well. He assured the minister that teams are moving steadily through the remaining phases to ensure the project is finalised within the contractual timeline.
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