By ZEBEDEE KUMPIO
MINISTER for Administrative Services Hon. Richard Masere has congratulated Mrs. Bogasia on her appointment as the Acting Registrar General of the PNG Civil and Identity Registry (PNGCIR).
Minister Masere highlighted that the appointment reflects the Marape-Rosso Government’s commitment to gender equality and merit-based leadership in public service.
“This is the first time a female has been appointed to such an important position, demonstrating our government’s dedication to promoting women in leadership,” Masere said.
“Mrs. Bogasia has vast experience with the NID system, and she understands the challenges and expectations of this role.”
The newly appointed acting Register General acknowledged the significant logistical and financial challenges faced by PNGCIR in registering citizens, especially given the country’s difficult geographical terrain.
She emphasized that despite these obstacles, the organization has built a resilient working culture that has kept operations running, even during financial shortfalls.
“One of the most important things we did was, building a working culture that sustains our teams during financial difficulties,” she said.
“About 90% of our operational budget is used for field data collection, and our teams work daily to ensure accurate and vetted identity records.”
She also stressed the economic and national security importance of NID registration, stating that proper identification empowers citizens to participate in economic activities while ensuring a robust national database.
The Marape-Rosso government has allocated K60 million this year (2025) to clear backlogs, modernize the system, and transition from Huawei to Oracle for improved efficiency.
Mrs Bogasia noted that while PNGCIR is accustomed to working with minimal funding, the challenge now will be ensuring effective and timely use of the increased budget.
“We are used to working with very little, and now that we’ve been given significant funding, our priority is to ensure we put it to good use and meet our registration targets,” she said.
Mrs. Bogasia also announced that about 3.6 million of the population has already been registered, with 70 percent of this being the adults.
Minister Masere also announced that the government is also working on introducing electronic identification (e-ID), allowing citizens to receive digital NID cards on their mobile devices.
He said this initiative is expected to be launched before the country’s 50th Independence anniversary, targeting streamline identification services and improve accessibility.
He said the NID system will be integrated with electoral reforms to ensure an accurate voter roll for the 2027 National General Elections.
The plan includes linking NID records with the Electoral Commission’s database to enhance election integrity.
Masere reassured the public that with the new leadership under Mrs. Bogasia and increased government support, the Civil Registry will work efficiently to issue NID cards and strengthen identification systems nationwide.
“This is a new journey for the department, and we are committed to making sure every Papua New Guinean is registered,” he said.
