Barbados’ Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Davison Ishmael, has announced that the government is aiming to launch a digital ID for citizens this year.
It’s part of a larger program to modernize the country’s ID infrastructure. During 2023, Barbados was in the process of replacing its traditional, laminated ID cards with a new “Trident ID” card that offers more advanced security features. Minister Ishmael has now indicated that the program is on track for its January 31 deadline of fully retiring the use of the old ID cards.
From there, government authorities will move onto ‘phase two’ of the program, which will be focused on setting up the country’s new digital ID system. But the Minister acknowledged that many details still need to be worked out, as the domestic outlet NationNews reports.
“We are working assiduously to get the digital ID delivered within the course of this year,” Minister Ishmael said. “There are a lot of things to be put in place relative to this. There is the technology, the processes and more importantly the people that are all part of the moving parts that we need to settle down before I can give a more specific date.”
Minister Ishmael was already laying out a grand vision for a new digital ID system last April. At the time, he described a mobile-based credential that could be used as proof of identity in in-person transactions, as well as for remote authentication when accessing online services. He had indicated at the time that the government was homing in on a cybersecurity vendor that would develop the needed digital infrastructure, but no such partnership has yet been announced by the government.
Later, in an update provided in October, the Minister further explained that the forthcoming digital ID would serve as “the cornerstone and foundational block to all the digital services to be rolled out”, suggesting it will play an essential role in accessing government e-services.
Source: NationNews
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January 5, 2024 – by Alex Perala
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