As the ravaging Covid-19 persists and countries around the world insisting on social distancing to fight the pandemic, some experts have called on governments to put digital ID system as a top priority.
Specifically, Mr. Mindaugas Glodas, the Chief Executive Officer of NRD Companies, a global IT consortium specializing in e-solutions developing and consulting, said Digital ID systems will serve as a prerequisite for developing functional e-governance platforms, which have been on the agendas of many emerging economies for quite some time.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has reemphasized the importance of eIDs in providing social, medical and financial support to households and businesses. It has become a necessary component of digital transformation initiatives for governments around the world, ensuring transparency, security and efficiency of e-public services they are eager to deliver to citizens. The importance of eIDs will only grow in the coming years,” he said.
Glodas also explained that electronic identification allows citizens and businesses to prove their identity and access the governmental services online, adding that it enables fully digital processes and eliminates the need for expensive and time-consuming manual operations. Such functionality has been crucial during the pandemic, especially for developing countries.
He noted that Africa is mostly hit with the absence of digital ID with half of the citizens on the continent lacking basic unique IDs—a precondition for citizens to exercise the range of human rights set out in international laws and conventions.
According to him, in the absence of identification systems, people have difficulties opening bank accounts, voting, obtaining formal employment and accessing education or healthcare, while states themselves struggle with government administration, tax collection, response to emergencies, disasters and epidemics, border management and security.