Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday announced that the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is evaluating separating national identification cards from the voter registration process to simplify and speed up ID card issuance.
The Prime Minister addressed the topic during a town hall Q&A session in response to returning resident Agnes Providence, who questioned why overseas Vincentians returning on vacation must reside in the country for six months to obtain a national ID card.
Providence highlighted that the six-month residency requirement creates significant difficulties for diaspora members visiting on short trips to handle business affairs.
Explaining the legal hurdle, Prime Minister Friday stated that national ID cards currently display a voting number and are bound to the voter registration system.
Under national laws, an individual must reside in the country for six months to be placed on the electoral rolls, which directly ties the ID card timeline to voter eligibility.
To resolve this bottleneck, Friday stated that the administration is looking into decoupling national ID cards from voter registration entirely.
He noted that if the card functions strictly for personal identification without connection to voting rolls, the issuance process can be made significantly faster and simpler for citizens.
