Updated: Validity of ID cards extended

Anthony Mizzi

Jan 16th 2010, 23:12

For the informayion off all bloggers
please not i went to a local bank in fgura and i went to withdraw money from my account,
without blaming the teller or cashier she was not going to proceed with the withdrawal because difference between i d picture and my face to day (valid til may 2007)then i proceed the driving licence same problem ,good thing one of the bank employer lives next door to me this way i was obliged with the service and turned out as a good joke

J.Borg

Jan 16th 2010, 07:59

@ E.Abela
i suupose voting documents are issued as per ID cards database!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E.Abela

Jan 15th 2010, 14:20

To vote one has to show his voting document not the ID Card.

Michael Catania

Jan 15th 2010, 12:38

Lets put it this way. - this goverment would see no problem in renewing the ID CARDS, if it sees an electoral advantage in issuing these cards, as it is it suits the goverment to just keep updating the EXPIRED ONES that are of no use to any Maltese citizen when overseas.

Michael Parks

Jan 15th 2010, 11:54

Are ID Cards of any 'real' use in Malta?
I'm in favour of them, here in the UK, there is mixed opinion.

Charles Cassar

Jan 15th 2010, 10:51

In reply to Rosalie Bayes.
Yes ONLY IN MALTA,As we seem to be the only nation run by such idiots.
They fool us each and every time and yet we still go out there and vote for them.
I have been living in Malta for 8 yrs and never voted and i will guarantee you that this government will never get my vote.

Muscat. Pat

Jan 15th 2010, 10:42

Most of my European friends travel in Europe using a valid Identity card; they use it when they come to Malta too.Why can't I travel with my National Identity card as my European friends?. Do I have to carry the Governmnent's Gazette Legal Notice, informing the European Authorities that Gonzi has extended the expired Identity cards for the second time.?
Why are we always treated as second class citizens and ridiculed abroad?.
I have enough difficulty explaining to people in remote European areas Malta.s bearings: do I have to explain, this bizarre Gonzi's move too?
If renewing the ID cards is a major project ( for Gonzi), and he can.t get it right: how is going to renew the Maltese economy from the present mess he got us in? It makes you wonder.

Mark Galea

Jan 15th 2010, 08:41

@Galea. L
While I am 100% in favour of renewing id cards, I think it is stupid that some people think that the government have such a big advantage in an election. Would not the opposition do the same? Who knows, it might benefit the opposition more than the government. Galea. L, as usual, you come up with such ideas - if you used your talents to promote PL, we would have had a 22 year PL government, not a 22 month one.

Anthony Pace Gouder

Jan 15th 2010, 02:34

Appartently ,Government has plans to make Malta the country with THE SMARTEST STATE OF THE ART IDENTITY CARDS .
The Target Date could be 2015 , when Malta is scheduled to become, according to this government's plan ,a centre of excellance .
Until then , I will carry an I.D. (IDENTITY ?) Card in which I am hardly recogizable !

Victor Zarb

Jan 15th 2010, 01:25

Now this is very obvious......lol. We ve had roads which remind us of planet Mars and extended time to leave them as they are,we ve had illegal buildings on green areas and extended time and excuses for them to be built,we ve had an extention of about seventeen years to build the only general hospital in Malta! So I mean, why shouldn t we extend this piece of i.d. plastic covered carton for some more time,at least when we look at it it reminds us how cute we were when we were younger!! Some things never change,the maltese id card is one of them......!

mary vella

Jan 14th 2010, 21:05

this is ridiculous... if the govt told us all the true reason why these IDs aren't being renewed it would be much appreciated.... at least by the ones among us with a brain!

to all who have to make this and EVERY issue political... maybe if you stopped acting like monkeys you would not be treated like monkeys together with the rest of us who are not politically blinkered....

one thing is for sure.... acting like monkeys is always ideal for polititians because that's how they keep their hold on people and get their say no matter what... so tell me all you politically blinkered people out there...what good are you getting out of acting like monkeys?

no offense meant to people or monkeys... this is just my humble opinion!

Marius Zulgis

Jan 14th 2010, 18:38

@Lawrence Fenech
The ID Card of Dorian Gray :)

k.pace

Jan 14th 2010, 18:23

If it suits you to count yourself amongst to must gullible it is alright by me.

Galea. L

Jan 14th 2010, 18:12

Rosalie Bayes
DO you expect us to agree to this continuous extension of ID Cards validity which most probably is because there are people who are not entitled to vote but vote just the same because it suits the Gonzi government? WHY ARE THEY NOT BEING RENEWED? WHAT IS BEHIND ALL THESE VALIDITY EXTENSIONS WHICH ARE ONLY VALID IN MALTA AND NOT ACCEPTED ELSEWHERE? THE WHOLE SITUATION STINKS AND IT STINKS BADLY.

Christian Ellul April 1 is still 2 1/2 months away.

N.Calleja Don't bet on it Calleja.

k.pace With all these extensions everyone becomes suspicious even the most gullible pace. Its about time you get a life.

P.Cassar

Jan 14th 2010, 17:26

WE HAD BEEN GLORIOUSLY INFORMED THAT ON BECOMING MEMBERS OF THE EU SUCH FARCES WILL NOT CONTINUE BUT AGAIN WE HAVE BEEN FOOLED.

k.pace

Jan 14th 2010, 16:35

For many it looks like their life expired with their ID card, or even before.

Lawrence Fenech

Jan 14th 2010, 16:17

Oh to stay forever young.

Jimmy Magro

Jan 14th 2010, 15:37

S H A M E

Mr.Spiteri

Jan 14th 2010, 14:39

@k.pace
And you Mr/s Pace, do you consider yourself intelligent? Let me be the judge of that after reading your comment! And like many others, I do have a life thank you, even if my ID card expired years ago.

Nathan Young

Jan 14th 2010, 14:08

@S Darmanin
Use your passport as means of identification. Not all countries have I.D. cards and this is how they prove who they are.

k.pace

Jan 14th 2010, 12:54

And what makes some commentors so sure that only government supporters can acquire a false ID card? What stupidity has to be listened to in the name of free speech. No wonder the human race is looking for intelligent life in outer space, it is such a rare commodity on earth and more so on this rock. Get a life will you, and try to get one that makes sense and reason.

Paul Barrett

Jan 14th 2010, 12:25

If I remember correctly, there was and still is some discussion within the EU regarding the standardisation of information required on the ID Card. Therefore it would be foolish to blast ahead with a very expensive project and then find that it is in the wrong format.
Although it is annoying to be walking about with an out of date ID Card - financially it makes sense but it would be better if "the powers that be" could better explain the delay rather than just make bland statements which lead to all sorts of suspicion.

N.Calleja

Jan 14th 2010, 12:13

Gow very funny of these Labour bloggers. As if the next general election is to take place next week. No dear bloggers we have still more than three years in office...and even more!! So there's no hurry!!

Christian Ellul

Jan 14th 2010, 11:52

Guys, it is the Maltese who create a politically oriented island. The ONLY REASON expiry date for the current ID cards is being extended is due to the fact that electronic ID cards will be introduced soon.... i know... its taking a long time... but that doesn't mean we should start speculating with brilliant ideas, such as that it is being used for a political advantage!!! Come on...it is not the PN who has such a reputation you know!!...

victor borg

Jan 14th 2010, 11:51

I hope that the govt.have these id cards ready before the next election. New id cards will
make sure only those eligible will vote

MSciberras

Jan 14th 2010, 11:47

I am finding it so hard to swallow this 'announcement' from the gods running our country or the manner in which it is being reported...... Why are we Maltese taken for such fools? This announcement means that expired ID’s remain valid. I travel extensively in Europe and use my ID card at check-in. Am I supposed to carry this news report in my pocket when explaining why I have an expired ID card in my pocket? This is a very serious problem for travellers, and not only at airport check-ins, it merits more than a cursory unchallenged announcement in the Gov Gazette. Are we just supposed to suffer yet another telling sign that Gonzi's gov is a mess in silence; or have we become so used to incompetence that we no longer know what we should expect? Maybe we should just shrug our shoulders and say that 'this is Malta'???? Incidentally there is / was a similar problem with passports, and I am not referring to the poor quality of the materials used to produce them, particularly the page including the personal details, which to many foreign officials looks like a print job from a cheap colour printer. Come on!!

Peter Murray

Jan 14th 2010, 11:47

Dear Mr.Vella.

Imagine the workload to the issuing office and cost to the taxpayer if everyone chose the renewal option for expired ID cards(which incorporates virtually the entire population) before the eventual(!) issuance of the promised new generation ID cards?On this thorny topic I was assured by the Minister responsible (Austin Gatt)-via an email dated Oct .2008 which I still possess-that the new generation ID cards would be issued by NOV.2009 at the very latest.Yet another broken pledge.

Rosalie Bayes

Jan 14th 2010, 11:41

I can't stand it when someone's comment says ONLY IN MALTA.Do they think everything else is perfect in other countries ? Yes we need to correct things,but my goodness,let's be less pedantic in our criticism and rather offer a constructive one instead.Anyway when the new ID cards are eventually distributed i.e. digital info,fingerprinted and eye colour etc, they should be valid for life.One can then use them for travelling,if that's what bothers some people.Otherwise I think everyone has a passport in this day and age.

Ernest Vella

Jan 14th 2010, 11:38

Meta tigi biex issiefer - hadd ma jaccethom - mela mhumiex validi - mhux imbilli jghid il-gvern - qabel mas-siefer ara li l-id hija tajba ghax barra ma jafux

S.Darmanin

Jan 14th 2010, 11:31

@Ramon Mangion

ID Cards are also requested when paying by means of a credit card (in certain stores abroad). It happened to me at least twice that the vendor would not proceed with the transaction.

RITA VASSALLO

Jan 14th 2010, 11:19

MY I.D. CARD EXPIRED IN 2008. IS IT STILL VALID AND IF NOT WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT CONCERNED WAITING FOR TO RENEW THEM?

Mark Bishop

Jan 14th 2010, 11:14

Mine expired in August 2007 and still is considered valid

Cettina Mizzi

Jan 14th 2010, 11:09

Unless the Government has something to hide, it should spell out the reasons WHY we still have ID cards that expired years ago. The public perception is that it suits the incumbent Government not to issue new ones as this would hinder its prospects of being re-elected next time.

matthew azzopardi

Jan 14th 2010, 10:31

& please note that these ID cards will NOT be valid for travel>>>>
i expected the govt gazette to be more precise on this issue..

Muscat. Pat

Jan 14th 2010, 10:09

Are the "expired" identity cards the trojan horses of the PN during the next election?
Why is the PN afraid of coming clean with the ID cards?
ID cards are going to be the new "dnub il-mejjet" of the next elections?
The ID cards have become the " deux ex machina" of GonziPN?.
Do we really need an other controversy in this deeply politically divided island?

J. Grima

Jan 14th 2010, 10:08

Oh great just a week after an ID fraud was being investigated the goverments decides to to validate expired ID Cards, what a total failure this country is turning into....

Galea. L

Jan 14th 2010, 10:06

Dan jista' jaghti lok biex nies li m'humiex eligibbli li jivvutaw jivvutaw xorta wahda ghax ikollhom ID Card qadima.
Il-Partit Laburista ghandu jaghmilha cara mill-ewwel li ma jaccettax li jmur ghal elezzjoni jekk il-karti tal-identita' kollha ma jigux mibdula u jharbat kull elezzjoni li ssir ghax din tkun tfisser biss li saret bil-KORRUZZJONI.
Barra minn hekk, irid ikun hemm sigurta' ghaliex kif instab ftit ilu facli li takkwista ID Card falza.
GHALFEJN GONZI MA JRIDX JIBDILHOM? GHALFEJN?

Ramon Mangion

Jan 14th 2010, 10:00

I don't know whats the hassle about goin abroad with ID card, just take your passport.

Paul Gauci

Jan 14th 2010, 09:52

Ara x differenza ha taghmlilkom gheziez bloggers .... it is marked as expired but in fact it is not .... !

mark farrugia

Jan 14th 2010, 09:46

ONLY IN MALTA

Mark Vella

Jan 14th 2010, 09:15

Or else just renew the ID card for free at the ID cards office to avoid hassles, especially if the ID card shall be used abroad... These electronic ID cards have been coming for too long...

A Grima

Jan 14th 2010, 09:13

Again!!