News in Brief

Sri Lanka Launches ePassport Tender

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Security has called for international competitive bidding for the procurement of five million ePassports in keeping with the government’s initiative to introduce electronic chip-embedded digital passports to citizens.

In the bidding brief, the Ministry’s Cabinet- Appointed Procurement Committee said the process would adhere to the international competitive bidding method. In terms of this, the bidder should have a minimum average annual turnover of $17 million, calculated as total certified payments received for contracts in progress or completed within the past three years.

According to the bidding documents, the bidder should not have been blacklisted and must demonstrate access to or availability of financial resources to meet the cash flow requirement of not less than $1 million.

The new ePassport with an embedded electronic chip will consist of biometric data of passport holders with high-level security layers that can be read only through the chip system.

The ministry also called for a separate international bid for another stock of five million reprinted polycarbonate cards for the issuance of national identity cards.

Sri Lanka introduced fingerprint scans for passports with machine readable zones to support ICAO biometric comparisons back in 2015.

Kenyan Government Begins Digital ID Pilot

The Kenyan government has started issuing ID cards, an initiative following the recent official unveiling of the ‘Maisha Number’ programme, aimed at digitising citizens’ identification.

The Maisha card is equipped with an embedded chip for secure data storage, enabling users to establish a ‘Maisha Digital ID’ on their smartphones. The Maisha Number is a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) which is part of a transition from the conventional national ID card to a more sophisticated digital identification system.

With an allocated budget of roughly $6.6 million, the government has laid down the infrastructure for the implementation of this system. This initiative encompasses four crucial digital components: the Maisha Card, Maisha Number, Digital Signature, and Master National Population Register, aimed at refining identity management systems and broadening access to both government and private-sector services.

A significant feature of the Maisha Number is the plan to issue it to Kenyan citizens at birth, essentially replacing the birth certificate number. This digital ID will serve many functions including maintaining education records, tax identification through the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and even acting as a death certificate number. The plan is to make this digital ID accessible on mobile phones, allowing citizens to have a digital copy, thus enhancing both convenience and security.

This system is tailored to support online services provided by the government and the private sector, with a focus on curtailing identity fraud and forgery. The government says that unlike the preceding Huduma Namba digital programme, which encountered legal hurdles, the Maisha Card alleviates the need for fresh registration or the collection of personal biometrics, a move applauded by many who are concerned by the privacy aspects tied to biometric data collection.

With the rollout structured in three phases, targeting first-time ID applicants, those seeking duplicates, and replacements for lost IDs, the Kenyan government’s investment aims at covering public education and registration exercises to foster public engagement and comprehension of the Maisha Number benefits.

Bengal is Registering Marriages with Biometrics

Marriage registrations in the Indian region of Bengal now require fingerprints of the couple and three witnesses, with the state making recording of biometrics mandatory for all marriages.

While applying for marriage, either the bride or the groom now needs to provide their biometric details. During registration the couple and their three witnesses have to get their biometrics recorded. The marriage registrars will now be present with their laptops and fingerprint scanners.

A senior official said: ‘the state government had amended the marriage rules in 2022, making biometrics compulsory for marriage applications and registrations’.

The implementation started this month after marriage registrars procured fingerprint scanners and were trained across all sub-divisions in batches of 10-15. ‘The role of a marriage registrar is now very important. The registrars can now access the online marriage portal using their own biometric identity. Once logged in, the session will remain active for 30 minutes. Within this time, the fingerprints need to be uploaded,’ the official said.

The requirement for physical signatures and identity documents will remain, and fingerprints will be an additional mandatory requirement.

‘This will go a long way in eradicating cases of impersonation,’ said the officer.

The move to make biometrics mandatory came after the state decided to digitise all marriages from June 2019.

Fraport Deploys SITA Biometric Solution at Frankfurt Airport

Fraport (Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide) has employed SITA’s ‘Smart Path’ biometric solution to facilitate contactless travel for all passengers at Frankfurt Airport, making it one of the first airports in Europe to offer biometric touchpoints to all airline passengers.

The traveller’s face becomes the boarding pass by using this technology. Passengers can securely register in advance on their mobile device through the Star Alliance biometric app or directly at the checkin kiosk with their biometric-enabled passports. The whole registration process only takes a few seconds.

Once registered, passengers pass through the facial recognition-equipped checkpoints without showing any physical documents. The new technology is already in use by more than 12,000 passengers at check-in, boarding pass control, and boarding gates.

Dr Pierre Dominique Prümm, Fraport AG’s Executive Director Aviation and Infrastructure, said: ‘together with Lufthansa and the Star Alliance airlines, we have been offering this innovative service since 2020, an experience – with the help of SITA and NEC – which will now be extended to all airlines.

‘We are the first European airport to offer all passengers a contactless and convenient passenger journey using biometrics. Our goal for the coming months is to equip at least 50% of all check-in kiosks, pre- security, and boarding gates with the new and pioneering technology.’ 

SITA’s biometric solution leverages the NEC I:Delight digital identity management platform, ranked the world’s most accurate face recognition technology in vendor tests conducted by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. This means passengers who have opted to use the service can be identified quickly and accurately, even on the move.