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Claim: Frank Gibson, a Liberian residing in France, claimed on Facebook that the cost of obtaining a Liberian national ID card has increased from US$10 to US$30 under the current administration.
Verdict: False: The National Identification Registry (NIR), the authority responsible for issuing national ID cards, denied this claim. The official pricing structure shows that the cost of a citizen’s ID card remains at $5. Receipts and direct confirmation from cardholders support NIR pricing.
Full Text
A Liberian living in France, Frank Gibson, asserted on Facebook that the National Identification Registry has increased the price of the citizen’s ID card from US$10 to US$30.
Gibson stated that during Weah’s administration, the price was significantly lower than what the Boakai-led government is currently experiencing.
“Wow, I did not know that the fees for a citizens’ ID card have increased from 10 USD to 30 USD,” he said. “The Rescue Mission is moving.”
The National Identification Card is a valid representation of Liberian citizens, and recently, the president sanctioned it through an executive order as the primary source for banks’ transactions and major services across the country.
The Card issued by an independent public institution, the National Identification Registry, was also delivered to other residents in the country. For example, some individuals are non-citizens residing in the ECOWAS region.
Other categories of cards were reserved exclusively for foreign nationals who were not ECOWAS residents. These categories contain various price tags.
Thus, when Gibson made such a claim on social media, it became alarming and warranted a fact check.
Verification
Our fact-checking process involves the following steps:
Contacting the claimant, Gibson shared a video in which he is heard speaking with a woman about the alleged price hike. However, the video provided no verifiable documentation or receipts to substantiate this claim. He later took down the post.
Response from the NIR:
Daniel Sloh Sargbe, Director of Communications at the NIR, refuted the allegation, stating:
“We don’t charge such an amount. The citizen card is US$5.”
Review of Official Service Charters
The NIR’s fee structure is as follows.
Liberian Citizens: US$5
ECOWAS Residents: US$10
Non-ECOWAS Residents: US$20
Cross-checking with recipients.
Our researcher reviewed official receipts from recent ID card applicants, all of which confirmed a US$5 fee for citizens. There is no record of a $30 charge for any category.
Conclusion
Frank Gibson’s claim is inaccurate and lacks supporting evidence. The verdict is false.
