- SVG ‘Digital Identification’ pilot project 2024
The pilot project for the implementation of a “national digital identification” system in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a southern Caribbean island, is scheduled to commence in 2024.
This announcement was made by Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves during a session of the legislative body of the island on Thursday, November 23rd.
Gonsalves told legislators that several things that the government hopes to implement hinge on the same concept of a unique identifier that follows you from birth to death. “From the minute of your birth, you get assigned your number, and your identification is part of a digital ecosystem that allows you to interact with the state and interact with the public sector”, Gonsalves stated.
“Those of us who have friends in the diaspora know that the ability to digitally identify and authenticate individuals is key to delivering public services, as it enables secure and verifiable access to public records. This process begins fundamentally with the assignment of a unique identification number to each citizen. We have conducted a legal and regulatory assessment and made recommendations as to the necessary reforms to implement this integrated digital identification system and authentication process”.
“If you want to update your passport, for example, you’ll be able to do it online because your passport will be linked to this number. If you want to renew your driver’s licence, if you want to apply for credit in banking institutions, if you want to pay your taxes, the process will involve this assigned number”.
According to Gonsalves, the Cabinet has granted approval for the creation of an Interim Identity Management Coordinating Committee. This committee will be responsible for supervising and advising the cabinet on measures and policy choices aimed at facilitating implementation. Additionally, a thorough assessment of the procedures required at the Civil Registry has been conducted.
“We’ve completed the business process analysis in the civil registry, and now the next phase will include the implementation of the upgraded civil registry and the unique identification system that involves a pilot programme that the cabinet has approved that will be utilising two systems: the modular open source identity platform called Mossop and the Vital Statistics System. The good thing about these systems is that they are open source systems, so we will have the source code and we can tweak it to match whatever needs we have”.
According to the finance minister’s statement to parliament, a sum of 2 million USD has been designated for the execution of a distinctive digital identification and citizen authentication system as part of the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project. Another crucial aspect involves the implementation of an enhanced civil registry system, a government-operated electronic payment platform, as well as web and mobile portals that enable citizens to conveniently access digital public services.
The digital public infrastructure paradigm is based on the existing systems implemented in Singapore, India, and Estonia.
The contract for the system was granted to 3M Innovative Properties following a competitive bidding procedure facilitated by pooled procurement, which included the participation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica, and St. Lucia. The aggregate expenditure for the system encompassing all OECS islands amounted to 3.1 million USD, with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines segment accounting for 785,000 USD of the total.
The halting of the system’s full rollout was necessitated by the continuous antagonism exhibited by the opposition party, Gonsalves said.
