Taiwan digital ID wallet prototype and deployment timeline revealed

The government of Taiwan has unveiled the prototype of its digital identity wallet, setting off a process that could culminate in a nationwide ID rollout by the end of this year.

According to TVBS, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) released the prototype at the start of this week, which paves the way for the launch of a trial sandbox before the wallet is made available for general use.

Speaking at the launch event, Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Huang Yen-nun, said the move is part of the government’s ongoing digital transformation efforts.

The official went on that the move will act as the foundation on which a digital Taiwan will be built, allowing citizens to have absolute control over their data in day-to-day transactions.

The government minister added that the apps which will be designed to meet international standards in the domain, will be available for trial by the end of this month.

With the tool, the government is bullish that Taiwanese citizens will be in a position to have easy access to digital public services, ensure digital ID verification for international trade and help strengthen the country’s digital economy.

According to ICRT, participation in the digital identity wallet pilot at the end of this month will be voluntary and it will be more about ID verification for the collection of packages.

Once ready for rollout, the wallet will enable citizens carry digital versions of their identity documents such as national ID, health insurance card or driver’s license, as well as other digital certificates.

The developments in Taiwan come at the same time Thailand has approved the third phase of its own digital wallet scheme.

Although sharpy criticised by politicians and other opinion leaders in the country, the government argues that this latest phase of the Thai wallet scheme intends to reach about 2.7 million citizens as part of an economic relief intervention.

Before the third phase of the wallet scheme was approved on March 10 in during a meeting of the Economic Stimulus Policy Board chaired by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thai lawmaker and deputy leader of the People’s Party, Sirikanya Tansakun, criticized the previous two phases, describing them as “horror”, The Nation reports.

In a Facebook outing referenced by the outlet, the lawmaker accused the government of wasting money with no economic benefits to show for, seeking political popularity and even failing to meet the project’s timeline for cash relief distribution.

Beyond these issues, there are concerns that many issues about the wallet scheme remain unresolved.

Thailand began the stimulus package payout via digital wallets last October, and about $5.32 billion has already been coughed up.

Article Topics

digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  mobile app  |  Taiwan  |  Thailand