Sri Lanka secures 350 biometric hardware for digital ID
The Sri Lankan government has procured 350 units of biometric hardware, including high-resolution cameras and fingerprint scanners, for its upcoming Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) project which seeks to convert the country’s standard identification card (ID) to a digital ID.
The tender for the balance 400 units of the same hardware was awarded, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne told The Sunday Times Business recently.
He said the Department of Registrar of Persons (DRP), which issues national identity cards for citizens, had already spent Rs. 5.5 billion on the SL-UDI project which aims to boost the economy, enhance services, and address corruption.
Mr. Weeraratne said that the previous government secured a Rs 10.4 billion financial grant from India for the project which is estimated at Rs. 20 billion. This includes two sophisticated data centres to host the platform at two DRP sites, running the platform for three years along with the hardware cost. “The government will need to put in an additional Rs 4.5 billion,” Mr. Weeraratne said.
Concerns were raised over Indian access to data, prompting agreement by the National Peoples Power (NPP) government.
The NPP administration modified an agreement with India on project development, guaranteeing local oversight with the Indian provider, MOSIP (Modular Open-Source Identification Platform). Mr. Weeraratne pointed out that the services of the Indian provider are utilised for project advancement and software customisation. He stated that the new administration, after evaluating the agreement with India, viewed it favourably but insisted on multiple amendments to protect the sovereignty of data and to retain control over the digital ID platform.
“The system will be 100 per cent controlled and managed by Sri Lankan professionals. The Sri Lankan government will undertake login, database, and software updates.”
The DRP is in the final stage of implementation of this platform and training the provisional council personnel. Mr. Weeraratne added that collecting fingerprints and face recognition will start next month. The last revision of the Digital ID Act in the country provides for fingerprint and facial recognition.
Mr. Weeraratna that the Iris scan will come later when the DRP and the system itself are equipped to collect the data.
The initiative will commence by distributing digital identification cards to 16-year-olds who qualify for their initial ID. Following six months, the initiative will become accessible for the existing national identity cards, converting them into digital IDs, Mr. Weeraratna stated. He remarked that organisations such as financial institutions will adopt digital IDs and also incorporate fingerprint scanning capabilities to verify the identity of account holders.
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