The Biometric data registration for Lae district commenced this morning at the Butibam village in the Ahi LLG.
Over a hundred people turned up to get information, asked questions and enrolled themselves in the new registration system.
Despite criticisms, authorities who have initiated the biometric project say it will help in the development of Lae city in a big way.
The registration will take about seven months for all the people in Lae district to be enrolled and registered.
This will include people living within the six wards in Lae urban and the 23 wards of the Ahi LLG.
Others residing along the fringes of Lae will also be included in the registration in order for the Lae district administration to plan for developments.
During the registration, details of birth, origin, education background and employment are recorded into a database spreadsheet.
Facial, iris and fingerprint scans will also be taken to prevent the duplication of a person’s identity.
For the past five years, the number of people moving in and out of Lae has significantly increased due to the developments taking place in the city.
This has been a concern for authorities including the police to keep a track record of the citizens in order to curb lawlessness in the city.
The Ahi local level government, the traditional inhabitants of Lae city has come under limelight in recent years following selling of traditional land through illegal land deals.
The women, who is heading the project, the Lae MP, Loujaya Kouza, who is also a traditional landowner of Lae city, wants to make sure that selling of land has to be legal. And that through the biometric system, the Lae MP believes will help solve the problem.
Meanwhile, a bill pertaining the use of biometrics has also been brought under parliament scrutiny during its last two sessions.
It will be discussed again when parliament convenes this month.
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