Biometric ID card schemes expand in South Africa, Philippines, Slovenia

South Africa is increasing the number of banks which offer services for the Department of Home Affairs such as biometric capture for ID cards and passports, the Philippines’ national ID registration continues apace as the country sees paperless transactions coming into grasp and Slovenia awards a ten-year contract for biometric residence permits.

Cetis wins contract for biometric residence cards

Secure printing specialist Cetis has been awarded the contract to produce biometric residence permits for foreigners living in Slovenia. The deal worth €15.7 million (US$17.7 million) last ten years during which the company expects to produce more than a million cards, reports STA.

The contract includes temporary and permanent residence cards which Cetis will design, produce, personalize, store and deliver. The cards conform with EU requirements for biometric capture for third-country residents (non-EU citizens). Cards for EU and Swiss citizens residing in Slovenia will not include biometric data.

Cetis was also recently awarded the contract for Slovenian biometric national ID cards. All formats are expected to be issued in 2022.

More banks to integrate South Africa Home Affairs database for ID issuance

Public-private-partnership Agreements will see Department of Home Affairs services being made available at many more banks in South Africa following current pilots in 25 branches, reports BusinessTech.

The goal is to offer E-Home Affairs services such as providing biometrics enrolment in branch as part of the application process to issue Smart ID cards and passports. Major banks such as Standard, FNB and Nebank are already involved in the pilot. The number of sites is expected to grow to 70 once more agreements are signed.

The service carries a fee, the collection of which needs to be resolved before the expanded rollout around 1 July 2022. At times controversial, South Africa’s digital ID system is progressing with connectivity. Cryptographic money transfer company Xago recently claimed to be the first online, real-time biometric identification verifier with a link to the Department of Home Affairs database.

Philippines sees national ID as transition to paperless transactions, fines firms for not accepting it

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has said that as more people apply for the PhilID (Philippine Identification) card, the country will be able to enact paperless transactions. The agency implementing the biometric ID system, PhilSys (the Philippine Identification System) expects to register around 50 million Filipinos in Step 1 of the process by the end of 2021 after reaching 40.26 million weeks ago and up to 70 million by the end of 2022, of a total population estimated at around 110 million.

As of 31 October, at least 3.1 million PhilID cards had been delivered by mail.

As part of the effort to ensure acceptance of the PhilID card, the PSA has reminded government agencies and private entities that refusing to honor the PhilID will lead to fines of up to PHP500,000 ($9,925).

“The PhilID Card shall be accepted as sufficient proof identity, without the need to present any other identification documents,” the PSA states, as part of its work to enforce the PhilSys Act.

Article Topics

biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  Cetis  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  identity document  |  identity management  |  PhilID  |  Philippines  |  Slovenia  |  South Africa