FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 1983
REGULATIONS FOR NEW ID CARD
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REVISED LEIGISLATION TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUE OF A NEW AND MORE SECURE IDENTITY CARD WILL COME INTO OPERATION ON MARCH 28.
ALSO FROM THAT DATE, DRIVING LICENCES WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED AS PROOF OF IDENTITY.
THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1983, PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY, IMPOSE A DUTY ON THE HOLDER OF AN IDENTITY CARD TO APPLY FOR A NEW CARD WHEN NOTIFIED TO DO SO. IN THE CASE OF A HOLDER OF A JUVENILE CARD, THAT DUTY WILL FALL ON THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID APPLICANTS FOR FIRST REGISTRATION OR FOR REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED OR LOST CARDS ON OR AFTER MARCH 28 WOULD BE ISSUED WITH THE NEW CARD.
STARTING ON MAY 2, EXISTING HOLDERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A NEW CARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH A FOUR-YEAR PROGRAMME BASED ON THEIR SEX AND YEAR OF BIRTH. THE FIRST OF THE NEW CARDS WILL BE ISSUED TO MALES AGED 18 TO 35 BECAUSE IT IS IN THIS GROUP THAT MOST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE LIKELY TO BE FOUND.
FAILURE TO PRESENT AN OLD IDENTITY CARD WHEN APPLYING FOR A NEW ONE, OR TO SURRENDER IT WHEN COLLECTING THE NEW ONE, COULD RESULT IN A FINE OF $3 000.
THE REGULATIONS MAKE IT AN OFFENCE TO GIVE FALSE INFORMATION THAT AN IDENTITY CARD HAS BEEN LOST, DESTROYED, DAMAGED OR DEFACED. THE MAXIMUM PENALTY IS A FINE OF $20 ̊000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO YEARS.
THE EXISTING MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR TWO OFFENCES UNDER THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS IS RAISED FROM A FINE OF $3 000 AND IMPRISON- MENT FOR ONE YEAR TO A FINE OF $20 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO YEARS. THESE OFFENCES RELATE TO THE FURNISHING OF FALSE PARTICULARS WHEN APPLYING FOR AN IDENTITY CARD AND FOR THE UNLAWFUL APPLICATION FOR, OR POSSESSION OF, MORE THAN ONE IDENTITY CARD.
A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF A $3 000 FINE FOR ANYONE WHO FAILS TO APPLY FOR A NEW CARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFIED PROGRAMME IS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1983.
THE SIZE OF THE NEW IDENTITY CARD 13 BETWEEN THAT OF THE EXISTING CARD AND THE STANDARD CREDIT CARD.
→THE NEW CARD HAS BEEN MADE SMALLER FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE SIZE IS THE MINIMUM POSSIBLE TO ALLOW FOR THE INCORPORATION OF ADEQUATE SECURITY FEATURES, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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