DAR ES SALAAM: HOME Affairs Minister George Simbachawene has launched a new Short Message Service (SMS) platform that will enable citizens to track the status of their National Identification Cards (NIDs), a move aimed at easing congestion at National Identification Authority (NIDA) offices and improving service delivery.
Speaking at the launch yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Mr Simbachawene said the service allows applicants to know the various stages reached in the processing of their national IDs, including whether the card has been produced, where it is located and whether a National Identification Number (NIN) has been issued.
“This system will help citizens access crucial information regarding their NIDA applications without having to physically visit offices,” he said, noting that the initiative aligns with the government’s drive to use technology to deliver services efficiently, quickly and without unnecessary inconvenience.
Under the new system, applicants send an SMS to short code 15274 by entering their details in a specific format: the applicant’s surname followed by an asterisk (*), date of birth (day, month and year), another asterisk, the mother’s first name, another asterisk and the mother’s surname.
After sending the message, the applicant receives feedback on the status of the application along with further instructions.
The minister commended mobile phone companies for supporting the initiative by integrating their systems with NIDA’s platform and offering the service free of charge to citizens.
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“This cooperation is a clear example of how the private sector and government institutions can work together to implement the government’s public-private partnership policy for the benefit of wananchi,” he said.
Mr Simbachawene added that the short code service demonstrates the government’s commitment to keeping pace with advances in science and technology as part of broader efforts to improve public service delivery and promote the digital economy.
Through the service, citizens will also be able to retrieve their NIDA numbers if they have forgotten them or lost their identification cards, as well as track their applications step by step.
He stressed that the service is free of charge and urged citizens to make full use of it, citing key benefits including saving time and costs, reducing queues at NIDA offices and making access to services easier.
The minister reiterated that the government’s long-term plan is to ensure citizens use a single national identification card for multiple services, eliminating the need to carry several IDs, a core pillar of Tanzania’s digital economy agenda.
Earlier, NIDA Director General, Mr James Kaji, said the authority introduced the system in response to persistent challenges, including overcrowding at offices as citizens followed up on their application status and the failure of many applicants to collect their IDs, which were delivered to ward offices.
“One of the major challenges was that many citizens did not know where their IDs were, even after they had been produced and sent to the wards,” Mr Kaji said.
He explained that despite staff shortages, NIDA has developed and launched more than 120 digital systems, saving the government billions of shillings in operational costs.
“With this new system, we expect to significantly reduce congestion at NIDA offices and ensure citizens receive services easily and quickly,” he said.
Mr Kaji assured the public that NIDA remains committed to improving service delivery and that by February, most citizens would have received their national IDs.
He also urged applicants to collect their cards promptly once they receive SMS notifications, stressing the importance of possessing a national ID.
The director general added that the system, which was developed internally by NIDA staff, will help resolve long-standing challenges where many IDs remained uncollected at district level.