Why should we change the name of the citizen identification card to identity card?

Changing the name of the Citizen Identification Law to the Identification Law and renaming the corresponding card is one of the major issues of concern when the draft Identification Law is brought to the parliament.

Unlike the 5th session when there were many different opinions on this content, after the draft Law on Identification was received and clearly explained, the majority of National Assembly deputies supported changing the name of the Law on Identification and Identification Cards.

Towards using ID cards instead of passports

Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong) supported the name change to the Law on Identification. According to her, this name fully reflects the revised and supplemented policies in the draft law.

National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Photo: Pham Thang).

The female delegate also stated that the name of the Law on Identification accurately reflects the content of the work of identification management with the purpose of identifying and clearly determining the identity of each specific person, meeting the need for identification management in our country at the present stage, managing the entire society, all people living in Vietnam, not leaving out any part of the population or any individual.

"If the name is the Citizen Identification Law, it will not fully reflect the revised and supplemented policies in this draft law. These are extremely necessary policies, both having strict legal meaning and profound humanity," according to Ms. Nga.

The delegate said that the name of the Citizen Identification Law leads to the understanding that it only reflects the management of identification for those who are Vietnamese citizens, narrowing the requirements in identification management and not ensuring the requirements of identification management for all people living in Vietnam.

According to Ms. Nga, removing the phrase "citizen" does not affect national sovereignty, nationality issues, or the legal status of citizens.

For those reasons, the female delegate also supports changing the name of the citizen identification card to the identity card, because this reflects the true nature of the card as a type of document containing information about the identity of the citizen and determining the identity of each individual in carrying out transactions.

In addition, according to Ms. Nga, changing the name to an identity card also ensures consistency with international practices and ensures universality, creating a premise for international integration, for the recognition of identity documents between countries in the region and around the world.

"This also limits the need to amend and supplement laws when Vietnam signs agreements with other countries to use identity cards instead of passports for travel between countries in the region," Ms. Nga stated her opinion.

Citing Article 46 of the draft law, which stipulates that legal documents that have been issued using information from identity cards and citizen identification cards will retain their validity, Ms. Nga said that changing the card name will not create additional procedures and costs or increase state budget expenditures.

National Assembly Delegate Vo Manh Son (Photo: Pham Thang).

Agreeing, delegate Vo Manh Son (Thanh Hoa) acknowledged that changing the name of the Citizen Identification Law to the Identification Law is an inevitable trend in current population management.

According to him, the law applies not only to Vietnamese citizens but also to people of Vietnamese origin living in Vietnam but whose nationality has not been determined, including free migrants living along Vietnam's border with neighboring countries.

Integrate information on ID cards to reduce paperwork

He said that the citizen identification card is valuable for providing information about citizens and is equivalent to presenting documents issued by competent authorities. Therefore, the information printed or integrated into the identity card will help reduce paperwork for citizens, creating convenience for citizens in carrying out civil transactions.

National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Dai Thang (Photo: Pham Thang).

This also contributes to digital transformation and administrative procedure reform, such as information on health insurance cards, social insurance books, driver's licenses, birth certificates, and marriage certificates.

Regarding the content shown on the ID card, delegate Dinh Thi Ngoc Dung (Hai Duong) said that the bill removes fingerprints and amends regulations on information on ID card number, the words citizen ID, hometown, permanent residence, and signature of the card issuer to personal identification number, the words citizen ID, place of birth registration, and place of residence.

She acknowledged that these changes and improvements make it more convenient for people to use their ID cards, limit the need to issue and replace ID cards, and ensure people's privacy.

National Assembly Delegate Dinh Thi Ngoc Dung (Photo: Pham Thang).

The draft Law on Identification, after being received, revised and completed according to the opinions of National Assembly deputies, has 7 chapters and 46 articles, and is expected to be considered and approved at this session.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/vi-sao-nen-doi-ten-the-can-cuoc-cong-dan-thanh-the-can-cuoc-20231029145312689.htm