The government’s seven 24-Hour Self-Service Centres were officially launched yesterday, in conjunction with 58 new document processing and collection machines that provide 38 services of 11 public entities, enabling residents to apply for the renewal of their ID cards and travel documents as well as self-collection of them around the clock, Identification Services Bureau (DSI) Director Chao Wai Ieng said.
Chao made the remarks during a press conference at the bureau’s headquarters in China Plaza, adding that the 24-hour-seven-day self-service centres are located in various areas, with four on the Macau peninsula, two in Taipa and the remaining one in Coloane.
According to Chao, the four centres on the Macau peninsula are located in China Plaza on Avenida da Praia Grande, the Government Service Centre in Areia Preta, near Flora Garden, and Fai Tat Bldg in Fai Chi Kei, while the two Taipa centres are located in Lake Building (Block VI) and the Islands Services Centre on Rua de Coimbra, as well as the Community Integrated Building in Coloane’s Seac Pai Van public housing estate. .
The new ID card renewal self-service kiosks have many additional functions, such as height measurement and fingerprint recognition, which will help allocate human resources more effectively and improve service efficiency, Chao said, adding that thanks to the kiosks the workload of 70 officials, accounting for 80 percent of the total number of counter reception staff, and the pressure on front-line staff will be greatly reduced
Chao said that the proportion of residents who are eligible to use self-service kiosks to apply for ID cards and travel documents is as high as 90 percent, and he recommended that eligible residents should use the 24-hour self-service kiosks to renew their ID cards.
New generation of smart ID cards
The Identification Services Bureau will roll out the new generation of smart identity (ID) cards for Macau residents on December 15, with strengthened encryption technology and security features, Chao announced.
The current generation of smart ID cards was first issued in 2013.
According to Chao, the design of the new ID card will no longer display some secondary information such as the card’s date of first issue and the holder’s height and place of birth code but still store the data in the chip of the new ID card.
Chao underlined that the government will not set a deadline as to when all current smart ID cards will be replaced by the new ones, meaning that the government’s upcoming card renewal process will be carried out “naturally”, according to which residents can renew their ID cards at most six months before their cards expire.
Starting from next year, permanent residents can apply to renew their ID card via their Macao One Account online, and the online service will be combined with the existing counter application and outreach services to schools and associations, aiming to provide residents with a “multi-channel” mechanism in renewing their ID cards, Chao said.
Meanwhile, ID cards of holders aged at least 60 are valid permanently, meaning that they can choose not to replace their ID cards with the new ones.
Normally, Macau ID cards are valid for 10 years.
Identification Services Bureau (DSI) Director Chao Wai Ieng shows the new generation of smart ID cards during yesterday’s press conference at the bureau’s headquarters at China Plaza on Avenida da Praia Grande. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
