Fiji sets 3-year timeline for National Digital ID project

Fiji has hosted a workshop for its National Digital ID Project leading to a timeframe being established for completion of the project.

In attendance at the “inception workshop” were members from government ministries, as well as key stakeholders from the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Representatives from commercial banks and the private sector were also present as foundational aspects of the National Digital ID were discussed.

“Our goal is to create a secure and scalable national database that supports accurate and inclusive identification processes,” Shaheen Ali, Permanent Secretary for Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, said in a statement.

“The National Digital ID will help create a more inclusive society by increasing access to services and economic opportunities, particularly for citizens in rural and maritime areas, as well as MSMEs and cooperatives,” he continued.

“Additional benefits include improving our resilience to natural disasters and supporting our sustainable development goals, particularly environmental targets, through more efficient policies and better access to data.”

The workshop established that the project is “expected to take at least 36 months to complete,” and that the stakeholders will “work closely to establish a project team, governance structures and a communication plan” moving forward. Following that, the enabling legislation will be drafted.

Fiji has help from ADB, which has experience with implementing national digital ID systems, and the organization shared best practices from successful programs that’ve been implemented worldwide, according to the press release. Previously, the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise conducted a feasibility study for the digital ID project.

Fiji’s cabinet approved the go ahead for the national digital identification program this summer, with the first phase of the project beginning with a digital know your customer (eKYC) system for the Reserve Bank of Fiji in order to simplify customer onboarding and verification. Under the program, some mobile applications such as “Government Directory” and “myFeedback” have been developed to ease access to government services.

The country has also partnered with Japan’s Digital Government Agency for its digital transformation program. Specific to the collaboration is the implementation of a border program for Fiji, Palau, and Vanuatu to facilitate travel and transactions among the countries through data interoperability and inter-agency cooperation.

The project has the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and is under the umbrella of Fiji’s National Border Security Upgrade Priorities for 2023 to 2028. It’s also related to another UNDP project that seeks to empower civil society organizations in the Pacific, to use digital tools for access to public and private sector services.

Article Topics

digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  Fiji  |  financial inclusion  |  national ID  |  UNDP