NADRA to Get Contract for Deployment of Biometric Verification System for SIM Sales

NADRA is set to deploy Biometric Verification System for sale of new SIMs, said a statement issued by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Statement said that NADRA has prepared Biometric Verification System for Telecom operators, all preparations for Biometric Verification Systems have been carried out and NADRA is ready for launch from 28th February, 2013.

In this regard, NADRA has demonstrated its services and applications to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Cellular Mobile Operators including representatives of Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid and Zong.

Proof of concept has been carried out with some telecom operators and a draft contract has already been forwarded containing minute details of operations.

NADRA has proposed flexible architecture to telecom industry with its recommendations on basis of security and performance.

NADRA has requested Telecom operators to finalize contract and deployment plans so that target date of 28th February, 2013 is achieved amicably.

Teleom industry had previously shown concerns regarding the deployment of biometric verification system.

Cellular companies are of the view that each mobile phone company will have to invest at least Rs. 500 million (or Rs. 2.5 billion in total) to deploy biometric solution, that too for just their service centres, franchises and 10,000 retail outlets, as compared to 200,000 retail outlets that were previously operational.

All this investment is likely to go into NADRA’s pockets as evidently they are going to deploy the solution for telcos, despite, there are other solutions available in the market which claim to be cheaper (in terms of price) than the one quoted by NADRA.

There are voices which suggest that deployment of new system for sale of new SIMs is just designed to benefit NADRA.

The new verification system will require each citizen to approach retailer, franchisee or Customer Service Centers of Cellular Operators personally and provide his/her fingerprints for authentication against CNIC data held with NADRA. On successful transaction, SIM will be activated. All this operation will be performed online and will take 15 seconds end to end.

Moreover, security related segments believe that such measures will help Government of Pakistan to curb use of illegally issued SIMs for terrorism, extortion and street crimes. Pakistan has significantly high cellular density in the country.

Although, it has changed the dynamics of communication means, yet their misuse has created security risk. Prior to Biometric Verification Services, methods adopted to regulate SIM issuance were prone to frauds. Now, with fingerprint matching facility, it is expected that same will bring authenticity and will reduce the risk of SIM issuance against fake identity to almost zero.

HP to ensure labor rights in its Chinese manufacturing companies

Hewlett Packard (HP) has issued labor guidance directives to its Chinese manufacturers in order to bring a halt to the use of low-paid student interns and other temporary workers in their factories. Chinese manufacturers often rely heavily on the use of student interns and temporary workers as a means to reduce production cost. HP says it has vowed against such violations of human rights and wants to protect the rights of its workers when they are hired.

These guidelines came after the acknowledgement of Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co), a major Chinese manufacturer on which both Apple and HP rely for some of their products. Foxconn admitted that it had hired interns as young as 14 years of age. Apple has also taken a number of steps to improve the employee rights standards in Foxconn due to overwhelming criticism from the world over. People are of the opinion that the laborers who make such “class defining” items should be given reasonable protection and privileges.

HP is optimistic that its directives will improve the working conditions for the employees in the Chinese manufacturing companies. The guidelines include hiring of mostly full-time workers. HP insists that the interns and temps when employed are not forced to remain on job against their will and are free to file grievances against the company. HP also ensured that the intern working hours would be even below the allowable legal limit.