The Editor, AMANDALA
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Dear Editor,
What would it take to get the Vital Statistics Unit of Belize to clear up their act? Can they be sued?
Too often I see people complaining on Facebook about mistakes being made at the Vital Statistics Unit, yet it is the applicants who are required to make payments for these errors.
In my case, I am 30+ years old, was born and raised in Belize, have a Belize Social Security card and passport, yet, when I applied for a copy of my birth certificate I was told that the record is torn, so they are unable to provide a birth certificate. I informed them that I have a Social Security card and passport, but they said, “remember, back in those days you didn’t need to provide a birth certificate to obtain those documents.” I take this to mean that just anybody could have applied for a Social Security card and passport with any name they chose and no verification of identity, being that no document had to be provided; so it sounds quite foolish in my opinion. I even provided them with the book and entry number, and they admitted that they had that, but there is no information there because they use the information from the book to put in the system to create the birth certificate.
I now have to go through the re-registration process, which involves me completing some forms, obtaining declarations from people who know me, and obtaining a proof of birth from the hospital where I was born, as well as a signed school admission record from the 1st primary school I attended, baptismal certificate, etc.
Now, tell me where is the fairness in me having to go through all this inconvenience to be reregistered, when it was no fault of mine that the Vital Statistics Unit is unable to store their records properly. If no other place is forced by law to keep records after 6-7 years, the Vital Statistics Unit should be one that MUST keep all records and have some kind of backup of records, because this is where proof of our existence and identity begins.
Something has to happen to force them to get that office in line.
Thank you.
(Name withheld upon request)