IC replacement fee covers production cost

ST Online
19 Jun 2010

WE REFER to Mr Ng Tuck Kay's Forum Online letter, "Why no free replacement of worn-out IC?" (last Thursday).

The identity card (IC) is a polycarbonate card that has been subjected to stringent tests for durability. Nonetheless, we are aware that a small number of cards may be damaged due to excessive wear and tear and/or the way they are kept.

The $60 fee for replacing a damaged IC is to recover the production cost, which includes manpower, material, as well as other costs incurred in producing a new card. The fee has not been increased since the current polycarbonate IC was introduced in 1991.

Unlike the $60 replacement fee for damaged cards, the replacement fee for a lost IC is $100 for the first loss and $300 for the second and subsequent losses.

Chia Hui Keng (Ms)

Head, Public & Internal Communications

Corporate Communications Division

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority


Why no free replacement of worn-out IC?

ST Online
17 Jun 2010

I VISITED the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) recently to renew my passport. At the same time, I inquired about replacing my worn-out identity card (IC).

However, I was told that I would have to pay $60 for its replacement.

I was subsequently informed by the ICA in writing that the fee is a 'gazetted fee provided for under the National Registration Regulations' and that the card is made of a highly durable polycarbonate material 'not easily damaged with normal handling' and can be 'expected to last a lifetime if kept or handled properly'.

Given that our ICs are used for a wide range of things, it is perhaps a tad optimistic to expect them to last a lifetime.

Even if a fee has to be imposed, why is it almost identical to that of replacing a lost IC?

Ng Tuck Kay