PNG DPI strategy moving from infrastructure to implementation as ecosystem gains momentum

Papua New Guinea is moving into the next phase of its digital public infrastructure (DPI) strategy, with plans for biometric voting pilots alongside new digital ID applications emerging from government-backed innovation programs.

The government is preparing biometric and electronic elements for its voting system. Minister for Administrative Services Richard Masere spoke about his department’s inclination towards digitalization of the common roll and voting system, reports EMTV.

The plan would start with phased trials of biometric voter identification and photo‑based electoral rolls. Pilots would run in the seven Highlands provinces, the National Capital District, Popondetta and selected urban districts.

The phased rollout would introduce facial, fingerprint and iris biometrics to strengthen “one person, one vote” integrity. Trials are expected to continue through 2027, with broader biometric and electronic voting targeted by 2032.

The transition depends on improving the electoral roll and reconciling it with national identity data — a challenge as 3.6 million of PNG’s 5.9 million eligible voters remain outside the national ID system.

The move toward digital elections comes as PNG’s wider DPI program reaches what some observers see as a pivotal stage. Writing for the Observer Research Foundation, researcher Russell Woruba argues that PNG must now focus on building the institutions needed to operate SevisPass digital identity, SevisPay digital payments and digital credentials at national scale.

He warns that weak digital literacy, uneven national ID enrollment and continued reliance on manual processes could undermine progress unless governance, funding, cybersecurity and technical expertise improve.

Woruba argues that centralizing digital governance under the planned Information Technology and Electronic Governance Office is a promising step but long‑term success will require a number of conditions. Namely, stable funding, technical expertise, cybersecurity safeguards and sustained political commitment.

PNG’s DPI journey, he believes, is promising but fragile, and must be institutionalized to ensure reliability and public trust as more services go digital. The country has established a legal framework for SevisPass digital ID, along with a broader ecosystem of identity wallets, verifiable credentials and consent-based data exchange for both public and private-sector services.

National digital ID hackathon

The country’s emerging digital ecosystem was on display at the National Digital ID Hackathon, where developers built practical services on top of SevisPass and SevisPay.

Team Cyber ProNetz took the overall prize with WokKonek, a platform that uses SevisPass to verify employers and jobseekers, and SevisPay for secure payments, which aims to make PNG’s informal labor market more accountable.

The Technical Excellence Award went to SevisBirth, an offline birth‑registration tool designed for rural health centers that allows parents to register newborns. It uses SevisPass biometrics and digital birth certificates are received via SevisWallet. Judges were especially impressed by SevisBirth for its potential use in rural health centers where birth registration remains challenging.

The projects illustrate how governments are increasingly encouraging developers to build citizen services on top of national digital identity infrastructure rather than creating standalone systems. This modular, practical and fast-paced approach to building DPI has also been used by the likes of Colombia. PNG joined the 50-in-5 Campaign a few months ago as it accelerates its DPI build.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  elections  |  Papua New Guinea  |  research and development