The manner in which the citizen information would be collected has not yet been revealed but some analysts believe that the reason for this concept is due to the present difficulty of obtaining citizen information through National Identity cards.
For example, the writer's NID is 32 years old, the photograph resembles very little of him and the data do not reflect his present address.
This is the fate of most the old cards in circulation today.
It is time the Government seriously analyse the ID card system prevailing in Sri Lanka: whether a modern new card is needed or not, and if needed, what data should be included and how it could be done taking cost/benefit factor into consideration.
ID cards are in use, in one form or another in numerous countries around the world out of which around a hundred countries have compulsory national IDs. Many developed countries, however, do not have IDs as such.
The citizens use a health or social security card, or traditional paper documents for identification purposes.
The majority of cards in use in developed nations, where the national IDs are used, have the holders name, sex, date of birth, and issuing coordinates printed on the card itself.
An expiry date, and a special number is also embossed, along with a space for a signature.
The key element of these cards is its number, which is used as an administrative mechanism for a variety of purposes.
Only a few cards include a photograph and fingerprint.
In a small number of cases, notably Singapore and some Asian nations, cards contain a bar code, which is seen by authorities as more reliable and durable than a magnetic stripe. The French and English are now moving toward a machine readable card.
If our Government eventually decides to pursue on a new identity management scheme (which most people believe it should), first of all, the cost of the operation must be evaluated.
The costs may look prohibitive but today's necessity is such, we cannot afford to delay the operation any longer. Perhaps we could think of a phased-out programme wherein the cost could be spread across a number of years.
In this context, we can learn a lesson from England how they have planned the transformation. The British national identity card is to be introduced in 2008, under the provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006.
From 2008, everyone renewing a passport will be issued an ID card and have their details placed on the associated database - the National Identity Register (NIR). Until 2010 people can choose not to be issued a card, though they will still have to pay for one, and will still be placed on the database.
The Government's plan is that registration will become compulsory for all UK residents by 2013. It is estimated that by this date up to 80% of the working population will already have some kind of biometric identity document.
The ID cards will record biometric data, including fingerprints, digitized facial scan and iris scan. Although much of the focus has been on the identity cards themselves, not least in the title of the Identity Cards Bill, it is the National Identity Register database that is the key component.
The National Identity Register will duplicate the biometric data on the card, together with the current and past places of residence of all residents of the UK throughout their lives.
There will be a legal requirement for all residents to update their addresses. Due to the data stored on the Register, cards will not be essential to establish identity, since a biometric scan would suffice.
The NIR database is expected to perform a key role in the delivery of Government services over the Internet in the future. Home Office forecasts that "265 government departments and as many as 48,000 accredited private sector organizations" will also have access to the database.
We need not have all those specialties as envisaged by Englishmen but just the basic data relevant to the security and social environment of the country including photograph and signature.
What is most important is that the data could be fed into a central network system and accessible to "specified" departments or agencies.
It is now a known fact that a modern ID programme definitely can provide better qualitative public services to the citizens and pave the way to e-Government services. We live in a new world, and now must make some careful adjustments to our way of life.
To require everyone within our borders to identify themselves in a reliable manner is a big step in the right direction.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Lionel Wijesiri
Quelle/Source: Daily News, 18.07.2006
