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Gov’t to identify undocumented J’cans for free birth certificates

Published:Friday | September 16, 2022 | 12:10 AM
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Prime Minister Andrew Holness, (centre) presents a birth certificate to Tavia Richards, a guardian collecting on behalf of Ashley Williams, as part of Operation Birthright on Friday, September 9. Looking on( from second left) are Dr Angela Brown Burke, rep
Rudolph Brown
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, (centre) presents a birth certificate to Tavia Richards, a guardian collecting on behalf of Ashley Williams, as part of Operation Birthright on Friday, September 9. Looking on( from second left) are Dr Angela Brown Burke, representing the leader of the Opposition; Benjamin Roseth, modernisation of state specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank; and Floyd Green, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister in charge of the National Identification System.
Floyd Green (right), minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), converses with Charlton McFarlane, chief executive officer of the Registrar General Department at recent event in Kingston
Ian Allen
Floyd Green (right), minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), converses with Charlton McFarlane, chief executive officer of the Registrar General Department at recent event in Kingston
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THE GOVERNMENT will be executing a series of community interventions to identify persons who qualify for free birth certificates under Operation Birthright.

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Floyd Green, says teams from the National Identification System (NIDS) Project and the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) will go into areas across the island to sign up persons who fit the criteria for support.

“We will also be working with our [young people] through the National Youth Parliament, and they are going to be helping us to coordinate community engagements to identify these persons, so that we really reach our goal of having 11,000 persons reached,” Green said.

“We will be taking a deliberate approach to work with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) to identify persons within that community who are without a birth certificate,” he added.

The minister was speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

At least 11,000 undocumented Jamaicans, who earn less than $37,000 monthly, will be provided with their birth certificates free of cost under Operation Birthright.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness launched the initiative on September 9. A sum of US$350,000 has been earmarked to fund the programme through NIDS.

Green said Operation Birthright is part of activities marking Jamaica’s 60th year of Independence celebrations, “to ensure that all Jamaicans are accounted for and that they can truly say that they belong to this piece of rock”.

“This is yet another deliverable on commitments that we made earlier this year during my [2022/23] Sectoral [Debate] presentation,” he noted.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Persons can access and download the application form for the programme at www.nidsfacts.com, and submit the completed document to any RGD office islandwide for processing.

The RGD will also be printing and distributing the form at its branch offices.

Green said forms were distributed to members of parliament (MP), which are to be used to identify persons who need birth certificates and fit the criteria.

The criteria include being born in Jamaica; being age one year or older; having a monthly income of $37,000 or less; not currently receiving or have received similar assistance under another programme; and being recommended by any person included in the authorised official list.

The list of authorised individuals who can recommend applicants include the head of the JCPD; senior officials in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development certifying an individual as a registered poor; MPs; justices of the peace; public officers (SEG 1 and above); medical practitioners; and ministers of religion.

Other officials include police officers (gazetted ranks); parish councillors; dental surgeons; principals (primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions); veterinarians; bank managers; official representatives of the Salvation Army; official representatives of the Missionary of the Poor; the chief executive officers /coordinators of a registered civil society organisation; and the head of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, if the applicant is on PATH.

JIS