Sri Lanka rolling national ID card investments into digital identity project

The transition to Sri Lanka’s unique digital ID (SL-UDI) for its citizens will strategically incorporate existing investments including software modules, biometric devices and infrastructure already deployed for the Electronic National Identity Card e-NIC project, allowing for a cost-efficient rollout, government officials explained in an update.

Digital Economy Ministry officials note that the SL-UDI will be accessible via the eLocker mobile app and current national identity cards, which are supplied by Thales, will remain valid during a 3–5-year transition period.

The plan to integrate the SL-UDI project with the e-NIC, assigning unique ID numbers, centralizing various types of IDs, and capturing data like birth certificates and tax identification, was first disclosed to Biometric Update in May.

The Department for Registration of Persons will exclusively administer all data capture processes, ensuring that biometric and personal data collection happens only after the system is fully transitioned to local management. Under Sri Lanka law, data ownership remains with the Department for Registration of Persons.

Comprehensive user and security testing by Sri Lanka CERT is ongoing to assess and ensure the system’s security is intact. Biometric data, such as face, fingerprint, and iris scans, will be stored encrypted using multi-layer encryption both in transit and at rest. Furthermore, the infrastructure for the overall system will be owned and operated by the Sri Lankan Government, strengthening local control and oversight.

The Ministry of Digital Economy has emphasized transparency throughout the SL-UDI procurement process, appointing an independent committee to oversee the selection of vendors. In addition to a Master System Integrator for the MOSIP-based digital identity project, the Sri Lankan government is seeking a local managed service provider for continuous enhancement, operations and ongoing maintenance of the systems and related processes.

“The Digital ID initiative is set as a foundational element for inclusive governance, aspiring to simplify access to services and enhance public trust through modern data protection protocols,” the ICT Division update notes.

The Ministry expects this transformative project to be a “cornerstone of inclusive governance and public trust” and lay the groundwork for a secure digital economy. The government also sees the possibility of the digital identity project kickstarting a local biometric authentication equipment industry.

The Sri Lanka Digital ID system is expected to be ready early next year.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital economy  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  national ID  |  SL-UDI  |  Sri Lanka