It is encouraging that as many as 234,000 Qatar residents registered their national address data within the first week itself of the six-month drive that began on January 27. What is heartening is that as many as 227,000 or more than 95% registered through the Metrash2 app, illustrating the success and reach of the e-government initiative. As residents who have registered through the Metrash2 app discovered, the process is very simple and straightforward, in short a breeze.
According to the National Address Law, all Qatar residents as well as institutions and companies should register their national address data before the six-month period ends on July 26, officials of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) urged at an introductory seminar last week. The aim of the national address is to facilitate services to all citizens and residents in their dealings with various governmental and non-governmental agencies, without the need for traditional paper correspondence.
As explained by Lieutenant Colonel Dr Abdullah Zayed al-Sahli, head of the National Address Section at the Public Security, the National Address Law is part of the strategic development of e-government, a completion of the legislative structure for government electronic transactions, and a transition from descriptive address to the digital address system. The registration can also be done through website of the MoI or at the MoI service centres, where a special office has been designated for the purpose, but the authorities concerned has encouraged everyone to do it through the Metrash2 app to save time and effort. The data required are the address of residence, fixed telephone number, mobile number, e-mail, employer address for government and private sector employees, and permanent address abroad, if available.
Major Khamis Saad al-Muhannadi of the Nationality and Travel Documents’ Department of the MoI explained that the law allows the father to register himself and his children under 18 years, but older children over the legal age and the wife must register themselves. In the case of separation of the spouses and the children are in the custody of the mother, she has to register the data of the children on her national address via electronic registration or at any of the service centres. The guardian of minor children has to register their data and bears the legal responsibility for the validity of the information. Under Article 6 of the National Address Law, a fine not exceeding QR10,000 will be imposed on anyone who violates any of the provisions of Articles (3) and (4) of this law, or deliberately provided incorrect data about national address.
In the event of a change in the national address data, the new data must be modified via Metrash2 or any of the MoI service centres. It is the responsibility of the individual concerned to update the data and ensure that any judicial announcements and official notifications are received at the national address. Captain Mohamed Hassan al-Haydus from Unified Services Department informed that the process of updating data is always available through any of the means of registration. Children who reach the legal age of 18 must register their national address within two months of reaching the age.
The MoI has also provided a special service to companies that have large numbers of employees who cannot register online. The MoI has provided a hotline (2342000) to respond to public inquiries about everything related to the National Address Law or any problem faced by the public during the registration process.