The final 400,000 polycarbonate cards procured from Thales by Sri Lanka’s Department of Registration of Persons to implement the Electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) project will be delivered by the end of June, M.S.P. Suriyapperuma, director general of the Department of Registration of Persons, told Biometric Update.

“President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, who is also the Minister of Digital, will gazette activation of biometric capturing for the e-NIC rollout,” she said on Monday. Noting that the NIC Act already has the provisions included, she said it still has to be activated through the gazette.

These e-NICs will feature biometric data, including fingerprint, iris, and facial recognition, to enhance security and efficiency in identity verification. She further added that the intention is to integrate the Sri Lanka Unique Digital ID project with the e-NIC.

The e-NICs will assign unique identification numbers, consolidate various identification types, and capture data including birth registration certificates and tax identification information. Suriyapperuma told Biometric Update that digitization enabling data collection, and data-driven policy initiatives are important to achieve desired outcomes.

Officials at the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka said that more awareness programs are being held in different state institutions, and some will also be directed at private institutions to be in line with the e-NIC project.  

Thales is behind one in three civil IDs delivered each year worldwide and a major driver in helping governments and citizens worldwide transition to digital. Thales Civil Identity Suite enables the issuance and management of both physical and digital identities. (Biometric Update)