Transport minister Barbara Creecy. (Image source: GCIS)
Transport minister Barbara Creecy has requested the auditor-general (AG) to investigate the new smart driving licence tender process that led to IDEMIA Identity and Security SA’s selection.
This comes after a furore erupted last week, following the announcement that the French technology firm had landed the tender for the rollout of SA’s driver’s licence printing programme.
In June, the department revealed it had received a total of five bids. These were received from Ren-form Corporate Print Media, NEC XON, Muehlbauer ID Services, Gemalto Altron Fintech Southern Africa, and IDEMIA Identity and Security SA.
In a statement issued last week, the Department of Transport (DOT) said it had selected IDEMIA as the preferred bidder to produce the new cards, noting the appointment was approved on 8 August.
However, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse was among those that were critical regarding IDEMIA being the DOT’s preferred bidder, saying the selection raised “big red flags”.
The firm’s selection ruffled feathers because of its recently terminated contract with the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).
The French firm was contracted to implement biometric and facial recognition technologies for ACSA, as well as e-gate systems for regulating passenger movement at airports.
ACSA terminated the multimillion-rand contract, which had become embroiled in controversy after claims surfaced that IDEMIA secured the four-year deal with the help of insiders, side-lining its empowerment partner, InfoVerge, in the process.
The cancellation came after ACSA suspended its IT head on 8 August, acknowledging there is prima facie evidence of wrongdoing in relation to the project.
Creecy asked the AG, which is already probing the procurement process, to widen the scope of its investigation to look at other key issues. These include whether supply chain management prescripts were followed to the letter; whether the specs for the project included adequate measures to protect the safety of personal data, given the sensitivity of information and security features involved in this project; and the implications of the procurement process in light of IDEMIA’s recently-cancelled ACSA contract.
Furthermore, the AG should investigate IDEMIA’s technical capacity and whether timeous delivery was adequately considered in the tender process; whether other South African service providers tendered, including service providers contracted by the Government Printing Works, and why they were not selected; as well as whether chosen bidder IDEMIA is the most affordable option.
“The auditor-general has been requested to prioritise this audit process, given the current backlog for driving licence card applications and the parlous state of the current printing machine.”
To fight counterfeiting, government decided to introduce a new smart driving licence with security features such as biometric data, holograms and watermarks.
With the new process, the Driving Licence Card Account – a trading entity operating under the DOT – should be able to produce a card within five working days, nine days faster than the current printer, the department previously stated.
According to the DOT, the new card will be valid for eight years, instead of the current five. However, it notes that current cards will continue to be recognised as valid until 31 March 2029.
Source: https://www.itweb.co.za/article/ag-to-probe-smart-driver-licence-tender-process/mYZRXM9ge4xvOgA8
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