‘Omang more secure than passport’
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday August 1, 2023 06:00
Speaking before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC), he said his ministry intends to advance Omang despite financial challenges to implement various developments.
“We have a problem with the budget which restricts us to do things right from the beginning in terms of how we are going to arrange the identity of our people just because resources are not sufficient for us to do so. It is going to be a problem.
So the plea here is we also rely on the committee to advance our view of how we think we should be resourced to come to a level where it can really execute its mandate properly,” Opelo said. He has confirmed that the use of Omang as a travel document is acceptable, but certain aspects require improvement. “I know there are certain people who believe maybe it is not secure. In fact, it is more secure than the passport if I were to say that. The reason is that identity starts with Omang.
And the Omang is about the original person even before they get a passport. The other thing is the fact that the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), which is charged with the authority of approving documents that would be used in travelling, has okayed it,” he said. Opelo stated that they are maintaining their usual operations, and have even established the Mamuno border as a 24-hour facility. He asserts that the flow of goods and people is now completely seamless.
He said their Omang border crossing systems have been fully computerised, which will inevitably lead to the opening up of additional borders with Namibia. This, he stated, will enable travellers to cross the border without any difficulties whatsoever. He stated that there is a desire to promote Omang as the central document for accessing all services in the country, eliminating the need for multiple cards. He noted that the implementation and procurement of this process is currently underway.
Opelo said it was worrying that Batswana have not realised that Omang can unlock a lot of things in their lives. He added there are a lot of people who only remember to renew or collect their IDs after renewing only when they need to use Omang urgently. He called on Batswana to always keep their Omang cards and passports up to date to avoid last-minute rushes.