By Sampson W. Weah – sampsonwweah7@gmail.com
MONROVIA – In a move aimed at improving access to financial services, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has directed all commercial banks to relax the strict enforcement of the National Identification Card requirement for banking transactions.
The directive follows a joint decision with the National Identification Registry (NIR), which recently announced a nationwide suspension of National ID card issuance due to administrative reasons.
No specific timeline has been provided for when the issuance process will resume.
As a result of the temporary halt, public and social service providers have been advised to grant access to essential services without requiring the National ID Card until further notice.
The decision is expected to bring relief to thousands of Liberians who have faced significant challenges in accessing financial and government services due to delays and logistical issues surrounding the ID card acquisition process.
The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) confirmed the development in a press release signed by Johnny S. Tarkpah, Acting Deputy Minister for Administration.
Authorities have urged the public to stay informed, as updates regarding the resumption of mass enrollment and card distribution will be announced in due course.
