Identity card contract with Afritech terminated, but not dialogue

In the DRC, the authorities terminated the contract for the production of biometric identity cards in mid-August with Afritech, associated with the French group Idemia. But the dialogue between the parties has not been broken off and two new contracts are already under discussion.

The contract between the National Office for Population Identification (ONIP) and the company Afritech, owned by Malian businessman Samba Bathily, associated with the French group Idemia, was in the sights of the General Inspectorate of Finance for suspicions of overbilling.

Also readDRC: why the General Inspectorate of Finance is opposed to a contract on the issuance of identity cards

According to people close to the case, ONIP did more than just cancel the contract with Afritech/Idemia. The settlement agreement signed in mid-August redefines the roles of each of the partners with a view to a new agreement, explains one of the stakeholders. The arrangement would no longer mention the Afritech/Idemia consortium and ONIP could then sign not one, but two separate contracts.

Two separate contracts

Idemia would provide the identity cards and technological solutions. Afritech would supervise the logistics and construction of the buildings included in the project. A component valued at $444 million in the first version of the contract and which had been singled out by the IGF for suspicions of overbilling.

- RFI