MONROVIA, LIBERIA-National Identification Registry (NIR) has clarified that the government of Liberia has not been asked to finance the building of a new biometric system.

In a rebuttal to recent media reports on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, NIR Executive Director, Andrew Peters, emphasized that the NIR never requested 38 million USD to overhaul its operations.

According to him, the entity got into a concession agreement with the OSD, an Austrian firm, for the building of a first-class biometric identification system in Liberia.

The NIR boss noted that under the agreement, the new vendor will finance the entire process with no cost to the government.

Peters detailed that the NIR has finalized the concession agreement with the participation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted by President Joseph Boakai.

The NIR Executive Director revealed that the concession has been signed by the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA), Ministries of Finance and Justice, as well as the President, and forwarded to the National Legislature for ratification.

At the same time, Peters is calling for the swift ratification of the concession agreement to build a first-class biometric identification system in Liberia.

He said:” The reopening of the National Registry borders entirely is based entirely upon legislative approval of the concession agreement”.

The NIR boss noted that once ratified, the new system will be rolled out nationwide, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the country.

Peters also wants citizens to prevail upon their lawmakers to expedite the ratification.

The NIR boss described the concession as a critical step toward modernizing Liberia’s identity management infrastructure and reinforcing national security and administrative efficiency.

The National Identification Registry Executive Director then disclosed that as part of the agreement, national identification cards will be issued to citizens free of charge.