Guest on the show Panel Magik on July 3, 2026, as part of the program “Kat ou la,” the Director General of the National Identification Office, Reynold Guerrier, talked about the main progress the institution has made, from replacing faulty cards to upgrading equipment, and strengthening the security of personal data.
Guest on the show Panel Magik on July 3, 2026, as part of the program “Kat ou la,” the Director General of the National Identification Office, Reynold Guerrier, talked about the main progress the institution has made, from replacing faulty cards to upgrading equipment, and strengthening the security of personal data.
The starting observation is straightforward: the ID cards produced between 2019 and 2021 had manufacturing defects. After several years of use, the ONI noticed that many cards were deteriorating quickly, even when they were properly kept by their owners. At first, the agency blamed these deteriorations on citizens mishandling the cards. However, internal checks showed the opposite: even well-kept cards were losing their lamination or cracking. So, the problem came from the material used by the supplier.
Faced with this situation, the Director General of the ONI said that the institution switched suppliers to improve the quality of ID cards. The new cards are now made with more durable materials and meet higher international standards. They include several security features, such as holograms, anti-fraud devices, and citizens’ biometric data. The Haitian government has already ordered nearly 600,000 cards of this new generation and plans to get about 500,000 more, bringing the total to over a million units. The Director General also reminded that the production process remains long and complex, with an average delay of about six months between ordering and final delivery.As part of this reform, the ONI representative says they have modernized part of their technical infrastructure. These new pieces of equipment allow for more reliable production, better print quality, and tighter control over card customization. The goal is to prevent the repetition of problems seen with the older series.
Personal Data and Security: ONI’s Position
On the issue of data protection, Reynold Guerrier wanted to clarify how the system works. He emphasizes a strict separation between technical providers and citizens’ data. “There is no access to the data. Software, hardware, or secure paper providers have no access to ONI’s database. The data remains under the exclusive control of the institution,” he said.
The head of ONI, which manages information for over 6.5 million citizens, says they operate according to international standards of cybersecurity and data protection. The institution also develops interoperability systems with other public administrations and some private actors. The Ministry of Commerce already uses ONI’s identity verification services for setting up online businesses, in a secure and regulated framework.
An increasingly relied-upon institution
Beyond the electoral process, the national ID card has become an essential tool in many administrative and economic sectors. Banks, financial institutions, and several public organizations regularly rely on ONI’s identity verification services to validate citizens’ information. According to figures presented by Reynold Guerrier, over 6.5 million citizens are currently registered in the national database, while around 7.7 million cards have been produced.
ONI continues its registration and distribution operations to expand national coverage and strengthen access to legal identity. Behind every card, as its director general reminds us, there is a citizen; and behind every registered citizen, an institution that strengthens its ability to serve the state.
