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🇳🇵 Nepal /Technology

Nepal to procure 10 million biometric system licenses from French firm IN Groupe

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Nepal's government will procure 10 million Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) licenses from French firm IN Groupe, parent of IDEMIA.
  • The procurement will be done through a government-to-government agreement and direct purchase, bypassing competitive bidding.
  • The ABIS system is crucial for national identity cards, with licenses expiring and IDEMIA having supplied passports since 2010.

Nepal's government has decided to acquire 10 million Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) licenses from the French firm IN Groupe, the parent company of IDEMIA. This procurement, intended for the Department of National Identity and Civil Registration, will bypass competitive bidding and proceed through a government-to-government agreement and direct purchase.

After the Cabinet decision, the home ministry has formed a negotiation team to deal with the IN Groupe.

— Krishna PoudelDirector general at the Department of National ID and Civil Registration, explaining the next steps in the procurement process.

The decision, made by the Balendra Shah-led Cabinet on June 12, aims to replace expiring ABIS licenses. The Department of National ID and Civil Registration proposed the procurement, with 1.5 million units to be bought directly and the remainder through a government-to-government deal. The National ID currently holds a limited stock of biometric identification systems.

IN Groupe is the parent company of both IDEMIA, which has provided passports to Nepal since 2010, and Safran, which previously supplied the ABIS system. A negotiation team has been formed by the home ministry to finalize the cost with IN Groupe. The proposed cost per ABIS license is 0.0995 Euros, the same rate offered in 2019 when the government initially planned to expand the system's capacity.

The price of the ABIS system will be finalised after the negotiation team concludes discussions and reaches an agreement.

— Krishna PoudelDirector general at the Department of National ID and Civil Registration, on the finalization of costs.

An ABIS license is essential software that allows governments to store and process biometric records, linking them to national identity cards, which are connected to most government services. The Department of Passports also utilizes NID biometrics for passport issuance. The government is proceeding with the procurement at the 2019 rate, as the ABIS system license has already expired.

We have already communicated our decision to the company.

— Krishna PoudelDirector general at the Department of National ID and Civil Registration, confirming communication with IN Groupe.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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