An Angolan minister has called for civil registrars and notaries public in Luanda to spur the issuance of national identity cards to ordinary Angolans.

The Angolan government put out a written statement quoting Justice and Human Rights Minister Francisco Queiroz as forecasting that the drive to issue national identity cards will result in the births of 12 million Angolans being registered by 2022.

He said the drive would require the opening of more civil registry offices.

National identity cards will mean more revenue for the state, the Angolan government quotes Mr Queiroz as saying.

Last November Angolan news media reported that China National Electronics Import & Export Corp. had won the contract to set up the system for issuing national identity cards in Angola.