Afghanistan’s National Information and Statistics Authority (NSIA) announced on January 15 that it is working to establish more centers for issuing the national digital ID, known as the e-Tazkira, as the number of issued IDs continues to rise. The NSIA is focusing on setting up centers at the district level, equipped with the necessary facilities to ensure the efficient distribution of the digital IDs.
The e-Tazkira is the digital version of the Afghan national ID card and is gaining popularity due to its higher security and ease of use compared to the physical ID card. Since the issuance process began, more than 15 million people have received their e-Tazkiras. The breakdown shows 9,067,000 male recipients and 5,952,000 female recipients. Kabul leads the distribution with 6,225,000 cards, followed by Herat with over one million and Nangarhar with 765,000.
The expansion of new e-Tazkira centers will add to the 73 existing digital ID and Asan Khedmat one-stop shop distribution centers, which currently provide services to applicants daily. To further facilitate the process, the NSIA has deployed mobile teams across the country to issue IDs in various localities.
The e-Tazkira initiative has faced challenges since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, including complaints from citizens about distribution issues, bribery, and corruption within the program.
In addition to expanding digital ID distribution, the NSIA recently met with representatives from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to discuss conducting a national census. The meeting, attended by NSIA Director General Abdul Qahir Haji, UNFPA Acting Country Representative Nada Naja, and Deputy UNFPA Representative Ahmad Wali Rasikh, focused on methods for gathering accurate population data. Afghanistan has an estimated population of 44.5 million people.
