Birth certificates to be issued with unique identification number

Cabinet yesterday approved a proposal to issue a special identification number for all Sri Lankans at birth. 

A proposal in this regard was presented by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Defence. 

A statement by the Government Information Department stated that in future, Sri Lankans will be given the opportunity to attend to their needs easily and efficiently when obtaining services from birth to death by utilizing this unique identification number.

The Registrar General's Department is entrusted with the authority to issue the national birth certificate to any person born in Sri Lanka in terms of the Births and Deaths Registration Act. Whereas the Department of Registration of Persons is entrusted with the authority to maintain the national individual registry as well as to register and issue national identity cards to the Sri Lankan citizens those who complete and is completing 15 years as per the provisions of the registration of persons act No. 32 of 1968.

Furthermore, the Department of Registration of Persons is entrusted with the powers to a issue Sri Lankan identity 
number for every Sri Lankan citizen under electronic transaction orders (Sri Lanka identity numbers) No. 1 of 2019 issued as per the provisions of the electronic transactions act No 19 of 2006.