Digizen’s Bank ID card set to boost financial inclusion in rural Papua New Guinea

Digizen PNG has launched its new Digizen Digital Bank ID card in an initiative part of a broader strategy to improve access to financial services in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The redesigned process enables the establishment of verified biometric identities and the immediate issuance of ID cards in rural villages.

The chip-based, biometrics-secured Digizen Digital Bank ID enables individuals to open a bank account directly with a bank representative in their village, and create digital signatures to sign contracts electronically. Face and fingerprint biometrics are used to verify identity, preventing people from enrolling twice in the system.

The digital bank identification card is the first digital ID card approved by the Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) for customer due diligence (KYC). In BPNG regulatory sandbox testing, the Finnish IT firm worked with the Asian Development Bank, MiBank and Women’s Microbank to successfully verify the biometric identities of 2,500 people in remote and rural areas and immediately issue them Bank ID cards to access banking services.

“We are proud of the Sandbox process fostering innovation like the Digital Bank ID, which is interoperable between banks and specifically designed to meet our nation’s unique needs,” said Ms Elizabeth Genia, Acting Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea. “Easy access to secure identification is key to driving financial inclusion among our people.”

The digital bank ID card can be read with an NFC-capable Android device with user consent, and also offers the ability to update personal information on the card after issuance, including photos and addresses. This opens future use cases such as creating a digital wallet for additional identity documents. The card also comes with a PIN code for two-factor authentication online and offline.

A recent report by Asian Development Bank (ADB) found that 80 percent of PNG’s population do not have access to formal banking services. According to the report, in Papua New Guinea, the absence of official identification (ID) documents poses a barrier to opening a bank account.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  Digizen  |  electronic-signature  |  face biometrics  |  financial inclusion  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  identity verification  |  interoperability  |  Papua New Guinea