DR Congo cancels biometric national ID contract; Idemia ‘determined to collaborate’

The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled a $697 million contract to set up a biometric national identity system and deliver ID cards. The contract is held by Afritech, with Idemia as a technology supplier.

The price tag for the ID system and supporting infrastructure had ballooned to $1.2 billion, three times higher than the original estimate from the DR Congo’s ONIP (Office Nationale de l’Identification de la Population), Bloomberg reports.

Bloomberg and Lighthouse had described the contract as being held by a “consortium” made up of Idemia and Afritech, but Idemia Senior Vice President for the Middle East and Africa Olivier Charlanes told Biometric Update in an interview that his company had a contract with Afritech, not a consortium. He acknowledged “inconsistencies” in the contract arrangement, and said that Idemia had asked Afritech to clarify the situation. Idemia was open to all options, Charlanes said, including cancelling its contract.

Now, an Idemia representative has confirmed the cancellation to Biometric Update in an email.

“The contract signed between ONIP and the purported Idemia/Afritech consortium was recently canceled, aligning with our expectations, as no such consortium exists.

“Idemia reaffirms its steadfast commitment to supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in its mission to provide reliable and secure identity cards to its citizens. We stand ready to offer our expertise and advanced technological solutions to the Congolese government to ensure the successful execution of this national project. We are determined to collaborate closely with the authorities to guarantee the success of this crucial program.”

Bloomberg notes that in the absence of a national ID system, citizens of the DR Congo face challenges opening bank accounts, acquiring official documents and registering to vote.

Idemia has been having a frustrating time with local partners on government contract in Africa of late, as the cancellation follows a similar move last week by Airports Company South Africa, after Idemia and its (actual) consortium partner Infoverge fell into dispute. In that case, Idemia plans to win the airport biometrics contract again when the procurement do-over is held.