Biometric fee hike to impact prepaid cellular users

Biometric fee hike to impact prepaid cellular users

Prepaid mobile subscribers will be affected by increased verification costs, says the Association of Comms and Technology. South Africa’s mobile network operator umbrella body has slammed the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for its 6 500% increase in the cost of biometric verifications. It says the move is contrary to government’s own socio-economic endeavours. This…

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Biometric fee hike sparks search for alternatives

Biometric fee hike sparks search for alternatives

There are alternatives to government’s biometric checks. Sectors that depend on biometric identity verification – including financial services, mobile network operators and credit providers – are under pressure after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) implemented a steep fee increase for access to its database. Identity verification company Ideco says these industries are well-positioned to…

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Biometric fee hike threatens financial inclusion, says TymeBank

Biometric fee hike threatens financial inclusion, says TymeBank

Cheslyn Jacobs, TymeBank chief commercial officer. TymeBank has warned that a proposed increase in biometric verification fees, from 15c to R10, could result in the financial exclusion of its low-income clients, particularly grant recipients, from formal banking. This, after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) yesterday rolled out its new National Population Register (NPR). This…

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Home affairs faces backlash over ID database fee surge

Home affairs faces backlash over ID database fee surge

The Association of Comms & Technology (ACT) has challenged a move by the department of home affairs to increase the price businesses pay to access the national identity system for verifications by 150% – allegedly without proper consultation. The Home Affairs National Information System (Hanis) and its replacement, the Automated Biometric Identity System (Abis), are…

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