Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne says the government expects to commence the issuance of Digital National Identity Cards (ENIC) from January 2025.
Addressing the media yesterday, Deputy Minister Weeraratne said all new NICs will transition to a digital format and that this initiative aims to address the delays currently experienced in obtaining NICs.
Giving further details on the initiative, he said the estimated cost of implementing the digital identity card system is Rs.20 billion.
He said that the government has decided to cover half of this cost through assistance from India to meet the financial burden.
Clarifying rumours surrounding the involvement of an Indian Company in the ENIC initiative, Deputy Minister Weeraratne requested the public not to be misled by unfounded claims made with various political motives.
The Deputy Minister explained that biometric data for the digital national identity card initiative has not been handed over to an Indian company, as claimed by many.
He said an agreement under the former government had provided access to the Indian Company, but under the NPP government, the agreement was amended.
Deputy Minister Weeraratne revealed that under the amended agreement, the Indian Company will only assist with the technical setup, while only Sri Lanka will have access to the system when uploading biometric data.Â
He further clarified that under the ENIC initiative, only three key data will be collected as biometrics, which are fingerprints, face recognition, and iris recognition. (Islandnews)
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