Sri Lanka's Ambitious Unique ID Card Initiative: A Digital Milestone

Sri Lanka's India-assisted unique ID card project is set to start by January's end. The Rs 20 billion project receives substantial Indian assistance. It aims to gather biometric and biographical data. Despite privacy concerns, officials assure the data will remain within Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is set to initiate its India-supported unique ID card project by late January, a senior official announced. This significant step in Sri Lanka's digitalisation push is backed with Indian grants aiming for Rs 20 billion, with hopes of securing 50% from Indian support, according to Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratna.

Despite opposition concerns over potential data privacy issues, Weeraratna assured that the collection of biographic and biometric data, including facial, iris, and fingerprints, would remain secure within the nation. He stated that the government had communicated to Indian partners that data access will be restricted to Sri Lanka.

Weeraratna dismissed fears of national security threats, reiterating that the new government would ensure the protection of Sri Lankan citizens' data. The project, previously approved by President Ranil Wickremesinghe's cabinet, received Rs 450 million from India in August 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)