The digital National Identity Cards (NICs) will be issued by this month, Digital Economy Deputy Minister – Eranga Weeraratne has said.
Speaking at a media briefing today (Jan. 14), he said that all new National Identity Cards (NICs) will be transitioned to a digital format.
The initiative aims to alleviate the delay in the current system issuing NICs.
Noting that the total cost of implementing the digital NIC system is estimated as Rs. 20 billion, the Deputy Minister has said that half the cost will be covered through assistance from India.
The Deputy Minister has also addressed security concerns voiced lately. “There’s no need for concern about the digital identity system. The Indian company is only assisting with the technical setup and will not have access to any personal data. The government will be the sole entity with access to the information,” he had said.
Earlier, the Movement for the People’s Struggle had urged the government to explain reasons for the integration of the people’s biometric details in electronic identity cards.
Speaking to media, the movement’s Executive Member Wasantha Mudalige had said, “An explanation should be issued as to why these details are obtained. One might think that this is due to technology, safety, or convenience-related reasons. But, that is not the case… The issue is, with Government involvement, we are giving India permission to collect all these details for the purpose of issuing electronic identity cards…”
He said the decision to obtain an Indian company’s services is a result of decisions made by the previous government.
Mudalige had also expressed concerns about the possible leak of biometric data.
