Bangladesh has announced the collection of citizens’ biometric data for the issuance of digital identification numbers, while over 30 million Filipinos have already completed the biometric capture stage for the Philippines Identification System (PhilSys) enrollment.
In a related development, Idemia’s regional sales manager for southern Africa, Keoagile Magasa, has reiterated the need for governments to establish digital identity for all, as well as the role of digital technologies in the growth and development of nations.
Bangladesh plans biometrics backing for digital ID
The Daily Star reports that the country’s bureau of statistics (BBS) plans to begin collecting demographic and biometric data of citizens in order to issue a 16-digit digital identification number to them.
In a recent National Population Register workshop, the planning minister and the state minister of planning discussed privacy issues around the project, and disclosed that a timeline shall be published regarding the completion of the process, The Daily Star notes.
World Bank statistics put the population of Bangladesh at over 164 million people.
Over 30M Filipinos complete PhilSys Step 2
As of September 9, there were a total of 30,043,249 Filipinos who had already completed their Step 2 registration for the PhilID card which entails capture of biometric information such as fingerprints, iris scans, and front-facing photographs, according to a press release from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA hailed Filipinos for the feat despite COVID quarantine restrictions imposed on physical gatherings.
“The PSA is grateful to the public for their continued support and enthusiasm to register to PhilSys. We are optimistic that registrations will continue to ramp up as we reach this 30 million milestone. Rest assured that the PSA continues to closely monitor registration operations as a commitment to prioritize public safety,” said PSA Undersecretary Dr. Dennis S. Mapa.
Biometric capture continues in cities and municipalities with less restrictions, and citizens have been called upon to continue to show up in strict respect of measures put in place by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the PSA appealed.
More than one million persons have already collected their PhilID and the PSA announced recently that it is also working to launch the mobile version of the biometric card.
Digital ID crucial for sustainable growth, says Idemia official
In an interview published on Idemia’s website, Keoagile Magasa opined that it is high time governments started using statistical analysis arising from digital identity records to “ensure better and safe lives for their citizens.”
She said African countries need to prioritize identity infrastructure development in order to drive inclusion and fight some of the inequalities they still face.
“Nation building, through the use of an identity infrastructure, is about helping governments bridge the gap and understand the population distribution per region – this will enable them to create a plan to better equip local communities,” a section of her interview notes.
Magasa also highlighted how Idemia is helping governments toward successful nation building. She also mentioned some of the new technologies they are deploying in this regard.
She said among other things that the company’s role is to “bring efficiency to government operations and services by developing cost-effective technologies that can address the physical or digital needs of communities.”
On how different Idemia’s solutions are, compared to competitor offerings in the market, Magasa stated: “Idemia has a comprehensive end-to-end system that includes both the physical and digital ecosystem. Idemia’s IDway is at the heart of the nation-building program, it provides each individual with a secure and unique legal ID that is valid from birth and throughout the citizen’s life.”
Source: https://www.biometricupdate.com/202109/bangladesh-digital-id-registration-to-include-biometrics