Uganda: Inconsiderate Bank EFTs/RTGs Verification Requirements
Roughly four years after National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) was founded, one would have expected a smooth verification process especially due to the rich pool of information associated with unique NIN (National Identification Number) on National ID Card. Well, this hope at the moment, for lack of a better word, has been literally dashed against a rock. Which is why, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Commercial Bank EFTs/RTGs verification requirements, as loaded on them by Bank of Uganda, are as inconsiderate as can be.
When NIRA was founded in 2015, it was a sigh of relief for citizens in regard to identification and accessing critical services including banking because a considerable length of time had gone by without Ugandans having a comprehensive and all-inclusive national identification system.
What is inconsiderate however, is the idea that some commercial banks deny RTGs/EFTs services to their customers on pretext that Bank of Uganda (Central Bank) requires them to exclusively accept Original National ID cards and reject photocopies for verification purposes, in absence of other documents like Driving permit, Passport etc.
This raises interesting questions about the efficacy of the NIRA database especially its mandate bullet 4, "Assigning a unique National Identification Number to every person registered" https://www.nira.go.ug/ vis-a-vis service delivery in the country, and whether or not Ugandans should have faith in the National ID Card to serve its function.
Owing to the fact that replacing a national ID card in case it is lost or damaged is a hectic process, check www.dignited.com/33195/replace-lost-ugandan-national-id/ and considering that until the time of this publication https://observer.ug/news/headlines/59566-nira-undertakes-to-rectify-errors-on-national-ids , NIRA was charging ID Card holders to rectify an error issued on the ID card, it would be imperative that commercial banks are allowed to verify their customers using their internal systems like Know Your Customer (KYC).
Considering that the NIN (National Identification Number) is used to tie all records about an individual in the database and is also used to establish or verify his/her identity, a Bank customer who bears a reprint/ colored photocopy of the National ID Card, should not be denied access to RTGs/EFTs services.
The hope of a smooth service delivery and verification process in Uganda, as powered by the NIRA database still looms in some unknown future ahead. Until then, we will have to endure an unrelenting, stringent and inconsiderate requirements by different players, be it public or otherwise.
