Uganda plans biometric gates at land borders to control trade fraud 
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has hinted on a plan to introduce automated gates at border entry points in order to tighten the noose on trade fraud and other irregularities in cross border trade transactions.
According to the plan, the gates will involve facial recognition checks for business persons crossing the borders in a move that seeks to boost the country’s revenue from imports and exports, reports The Independent Uganda.
With the system, travellers’ faces will be matched against biometric data in the immigration department database to verify the authenticity of their travel documents.
The URA says the facial recognition gates for passport checks will add to other AI-based technology options already in use such as digital scanners for cargo, barcode readers and other digital cargo tracking systems, the outlet notes.
The Commissioner for Customers at the URA Abel Kagumire is quoted as saying that the biometric gates are already available and their installation at the Busia and Busitema border points for a start. Both are along the country’s southeast border shared with Kenya.
The URA hopes that with these innovations, it could increase its customs revenue to nine trillion Ugandan shillings (US$2.4 billion), up from the six trillion (US$1.6 billion) collected last year.
Uganda plans to introduce a new generation ID with biometric enrollment planned for August.
Article Topics
ABC gates | Africa | biometrics | document verification | facial recognition | fraud prevention | Uganda
DIGITAL ID for ALL NEWS
- Pilot phase of biometric vaccination system for Kenyan newborns goes live
- Africa’s data protection action pushing digital ID forward
- Uganda plans biometric gates at land borders to control trade fraud
- Sovrin highlights the risks of commingling data in digital identity guardianship
- Agency to engage new Nigerian govt on passage of delayed data protection bill
- Kenya factors in biometrics in three-year digital government plan
- NADRA adds iris to automated biometric identification platform with Iris ID
- Zimbabweans verify entries on voter’s roll after criticized biometric registration
- Indian PM warned of rising Aadhaar payment fraud
- Togo brings in Atos and Idemia to build national digital ID program
- Daily Biometrics News
Featured Company
Learn More
ID for ALL FEATURE REPORTS
- Africa’s data protection action pushing digital ID forward
- Digital ID key in Kenya’s digital transformation agenda: Eliud Owalo
- Population scale ID verification in focus at ID4Africa 2023
- Study finds digital IDs would yield economic good in three African nations
- MOSIP building “an ecosystem” of biometrics labs, partnering with more universities
- More Features and Interviews
DIGITAL IDENTITY PROJECTS
- Biometric digital identification initiatives by country
- Creating smarter government IDs: The process, from creation and enrollment to issuance
- Glossary of ID4D terms
- More Resources
BIOMETRICS EVENTS
- Open Identity Exchange (OIX)
- Zero Trust Government Symposium
- Webinar: Is your digital onboarding really digital?
- More Biometrics Events
