One Caribbean digital ID and card announced, another faces political opposition

The Turks and Caicos government will deploy the digital ID and National Identification Cards for residents by 2025, reports Magnetic Media. The announcement was made by deputy premier and finance minister Erwin Jay Saunders at a town hall meeting last week.

According to the politician, the project for the design of the national ID has already gone out to tender, and the budget for the consultation of that project has already been approved. An unnamed UK company is helping the government with the digital ID aspects of the project. The design tender closes on January 11.

The latter will also aim to connect all government services and establish a fully integrated and secure digital ID infrastructure. This part of the project will also see the expansion of fiber optic cable from Provo through the family islands.

Saunders also confirmed that the new digital ID and paper counterpart would be available to all Turks and Caicos residents, including individuals living in the country on a work permit.

Cayman Islands opposition calls for withdrawal of two bills

Meanwhile, in another British Overseas Territory, opposition leader Roy McTaggart has requested the Cayman Islands government to withdraw two bills, according to the Cayman Compass.

The Identification Register Bill 2022 and the Identification Card Bill aim to create, respectively, a digital identity register and a system to issue ID cards to improve the way residents interact with the government and businesses and reduce red tape.

The bills are scheduled for discussion in parliament next week, but McTaggart believes the public should have more time to give their feedback before the parliamentary session takes place. Cabinet approved both draft bills in November and opened them to public comment.

The upcoming national identification card and digital ID register project will cost roughly 8 million Cayman Islands Dollars (approximately US$9.6 million) and will be developed over the course of five years.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Cayman Islands  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  national ID  |  Turks and Caicos