The
Gambia Biometric Identification System (GAMBIS) is in the forefront of
identification technology and innovation.
Invented
and developed by Pristine Consulting, a Gambian software company with
international standing, the GAMBIS platform has been in use for the past 8
years.
Speaking
at a press conference on Thursday at Pristine Consulting offices in Fajara, the
company’s chief executive officer, A. Draman Touray, said GAMBIS is the world’s
first totally integrated multi-document identification platform.
“This
means that the platform was the first platform in the world in which national
identify documents such as National ID Card, Driver Licenses, and Residential
Permit are all issued on the same platform using the same database,” he
said. “This is a significant achievement
of which all Gambians and African should be proud.”
Mr
Touray said GAMBIS platform is the type of technological innovation that
African countries need in order to develop their countries.
“This
type of innovation is also necessary in order to create employment and business
opportunities for countries such as The Gambia where youth unemployment is
high,” he said.
According
to Pristine Consulting CEO, the GAMBIS database is the largest database in The
Gambia with 350 gigabytes (350GB).
“Developing
this large database took over 6 years and involved 1.2 million professional
hours of work,” he said. “Over 4 million pages of documentation have been
collected so far with over 100 Immigration and Police officials trained in the
use of the platform.”
The
GAMBIS project, Mr Touray said, has been entirely pre-financed by Pristine
Consulting to the tune of over $3 million with The Gambia government spending
zero dollars.
“To
date, the GAMBIS project has given The Gambia government about D300 million and
is the most successful private partnership project in Gambian history,” he
said.
Mr
Touray also used the occasion to announce the launch of a new product called ID
Check to help businesses identify their customers.
“We
are excited to launch our ID Check product in The Gambia following its
successful use in 8 West African countries by various businesses including
banks and microfinance institutions,” he said.
“We
believe that our biometric software technology will reduce risks for Gambian
businesses and make it easier to get access to finance and other vital
services.”
