Tonga launches TongaPass digital ID and government portal

Tonga has launched its TongaPass digital ID, a new digital government portal with which the Tongan government wants to transform public services.

TongaPass will provide every individual registered in the Civil Registration System with a unique ID number. This number digitizes the foundational requirement of identity verification for accessing government services.

The new digital government portal – gov.to – will serve as the centralized hub for Tongans to access a growing number of online government services, eliminating the need to visit physical ministries.

The TongaPass Digital ID launches alongside an API integration platform that enables different government ministry systems to seamlessly interact and securely transmit data. For Tongans this will create a more streamlined experience when accessing government services.

The initiatives are spearheaded by the Digital Transformation Department under the Prime Minister’s Office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health, with vital support from the World Bank and various technology partners.

The move to digital ID required robust underpinnings, with the government seeking legal consultation on the legislative frameworks necessary to build a secure and future-proof digital governance ecosystem.

International digital governance specialists were sought in the development of Tonga’s Cybersecurity Framework, the Tonga Enterprise Architecture Framework, a Cloud First Policy, and the Data Exchange/Interoperability Framework.

Progress was guided by a vision outlined in the Digital Government Strategic Framework, and major infrastructure developments such as laying submarine fiber-optic cables along with telecom reforms made implementation possible.

The World Bank, as a leading driver of DPI, was a key funding partner to the Government of Tonga and caps support from the organization that began in 2019, when a $4.65m grant was delivered to upgrade and link civil registration and national ID systems.

Article Topics

civil registration  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  government services  |  Tonga  |  TongaPass