Somaliland: Shed More Light on DL issue: Private Firm Awarded Contract to issue National Driving Licenses

Perhaps the Public Works Minister ought to shed more light on the matters of the issuance of driving licenses in the country before it boomerangs in the future.

Somaliland  Public Works Minister Ahmed Abdi Haabsade

This appeal is logical given that matters of personal, national and inter-national privileges, security or rights to private information may be infringed or, largely, put in a precarious situation.


If given the similitude of Hon. Habsade equating the private company’s issuance of DLs to that of the vehicle number plates, does he mean that the agent would ONLY supply the driving licence books (or cards) whether digital or not?


If so, it is well and good. If not, then we should not succumb to hasty decision whose most probable future may have in store serious security and legal repercussions for the country.


This is because we believe that those who supply the number plates are not privy to personal information hence do not hold the log-books to vehicles nor process their application forms.


It is clear that the registration of motor vehicles are sensitive since the applicants have to supply information on their personnel selves (e.g. IDs etc where necessary).


This should be things to be entrusted only upon the state alone.
Given that the national identification system is still absent, how should the DL issuance be placed in private hands?


Worse of all is that absence of the personal identification national index makes it difficult for the criminal investigations department to issue fool proof certifications of good personal conducts for lack of standard and proper finger-printing system and allied systemic data banks, how can the state relieve off its watch over such a core department? More light should be shed on the issue since significant and important line departments have to be established before hand, serious future repercussions notwithstanding.

M A EGGE
opinion published: somalilandpress