Fiji plans to roll out national digital IDs over the next three years

Fiji plans to roll out national digital IDs over the next three years

Rhoda Wilson

Fiji has established a 3-year timeline for the completion of its National Digital ID project, following an inception workshop attended by government ministries, the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF), the Asian Development Bank, commercial banks and the private sector.

There is a good reason why banks are involved in the project. Central bank digital currencies will be digital ID-based. And it is the banking system that is expected to manage the related identity systems.

Fiji’s National Digital ID project aims to create a secure and scalable national database that supports accurate and inclusive identification processes, with the goal of increasing access to services and economic opportunities, particularly for citizens in rural and maritime areas, as well as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives.

According to Shaheen Ali, Permanent Secretary for Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, the National Digital ID will also help improve resilience to natural disasters and support sustainable development goals through more efficient policies and better access to data.

The project is expected to take at least 36 months to complete, during which stakeholders will work closely to establish a project team, governance structures and a communication plan, followed by the drafting of enabling legislation.

Fiji is receiving assistance from the Asian Development Bank, which has experience with implementing national digital ID systems and has shared best practices from successful programmes worldwide.

The project has also received support from the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, which conducted a feasibility study for the digital ID project, and the United Nations Development Program (“UNDP”), which is supporting the project under the umbrella of Fiji’s National Border Security Upgrade Priorities for 2023 to 2028.

Additionally, Fiji has partnered with Japan’s Digital Government Agency for its digital transformation programme, which includes the implementation of a border programme for Fiji, Palau and Vanuatu to facilitate travel and transactions among the countries through data interoperability and inter-agency cooperation.

The project is part of Fiji’s efforts to create a more inclusive society and improve access to government services, with some mobile applications such as “Government Directory” and “myFeedback” already developed to ease access to government services.

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