The government has made the digitization of society a pillar of its policies. The My Number card is one of the fundamental elements. It is important to develop a system to smoothly get the cards to those who want to use them.
The rate of issuance of the cards stands at just over 20%. The government aims to distribute cards to almost all citizens by the end of fiscal 2022.
The number of applications is on an upward trend, through such means as procedures for receiving the special fixed-sum cash benefit of 100,000 yen and the My Number Points program, in which points equivalent to up to 5,000 yen are awarded to My Number cardholders.
The government plans to send applications with QR matrix barcodes to all individuals who have not yet obtained My Number cards, to make it easier to apply online.
However, a new problem has emerged in that local governments, which are responsible for the actual distribution of the cards, have not been able to keep up with the work.
It had been expected to take about one month from filing an application to actually obtaining the card, but with some local governments, it is taking more than three months. Even by taking such measures as boosting the number of temporary staff, increasing the number of counters, and opening offices on Saturdays and Sundays, they have been unable to cope with the increase in the number of applications.
To avoid crowding, many local governments have introduced an appointment for a system picking up the cards. But there have been cases in which appointments cannot be made even a month after notification that a card has been issued.
If there is a last-minute rush of applications prior to the end of the My Number Points program in March next year, the confusion will only spread. Delays in issuing My Number cards could heighten the public's distrust of digitization as a whole.
It is necessary for the central and local governments to strengthen cooperation to eliminate the bottleneck in issuing My Number cards.
The government has been providing subsidies to help local governments strengthen their systems for issuing My Number cards, but financial support alone is not enough. The government should bolster its support for each municipality based on their circumstances, taking such measures as establishing temporary counters to provide My Number cards at national supermarket chains and regional offices of the central government.
Local governments should make efforts to effectively allocate personnel and improve efficiency, by referencing previous cases in which support personnel were secured from other departments and sections.
The dissemination of My Number cards is not an objective in itself but a means of improving convenience in people's lives. The government must not forget this.
It is said that from next March My Number cards will be able to serve as a health insurance card. A plan to digitize driver's license information and integrate it with the card is also under way.
The public has deep concerns about carrying My Number cards around and potential abuse. The government should meticulously explain the significance of the expanded functions of the cards and its safety measures. Its main task is to create an environment in which members of the public naturally want to acquire the cards.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 23, 2020.
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