Trident announces progress in preps for DR Congo’s national digital ID launch

There is progress in efforts towards the implementation of a public-private partnership that seeks to set up a national digital ID program in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An MoU for the implementation of this project was signed in February.

In a latest announcement, Trident, the Singaporean company in charge of the contract, said that there have been a number of key engagements lately between officials of both parties, with one of those moments taking place on March 15 in Kinshasa.

Per the announcement, DR Congo’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Technology, Augustin Kibassa Maliba, on that date, started the process of validating the first phase of the collaboration, which would pave the way for effective on-the-field operations.

In the course of the event, Maliba restated the pertinence of the national digital ID and digital government projects for the DR Congo, noting that they will extensively transform the delivery of government and private sector services and render governance in the central African nation more efficient.

As part of the project, the minister talked about the launch of a sensitization and awareness campaign to highlight the importance of the digital ID project which will enhance the country’s technological infrastructure such as cloud systems and secure data centers, and facilitate the promotion and empowerment of tech startups which play a critical role in the growth of the digital economy.

Trident CEO, Soon Huat Lim, re-echoed his views on the strategic importance of the initiative, saying it will transform all sectors of DR Congo’s economy by reducing identity fraud and cybercrime and protecting its digital future. He added it will also go a long way in “revolutionizing public administration through less bureaucracy and greater transparency, accelerating financial inclusion by providing millions of unbanked citizens access to banking services and digital payments, facilitating student identification, online learning, and academic verification in education, and enabling better healthcare access with secure medical records.”

“Thanks to the cutting-edge technologies such as Web 3.0 blockchain, artificial intelligence, biometrics, and zero-knowledge proofs, Trident will redefine trust in digital interactions. This is more than a tool – it’s a catalyst for transformation across the nation and the continent,” the CEO added.

Both partners are bullish that the implementation of the national digital ID will bring forth several gains for the country including the creation of more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs in digital technology, cybersecurity, administration, and services.

They also project a 40 percent increase in financial inclusion which would enable millions of people in the country to access banking and digital services; a 50 percent reduction in administrative delays through enhanced efficiency and accessibility of public services; as well as the triggering of economic growth through more seamless cross-border trade transactions.

Article Topics

Democratic Republic of Congo  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  national ID  |  public-private partnerships  |  Trident