ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AT THE FOREFRONT OF GOVERNMENT’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA FOR 2025

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 19, 2024 (SKNIS) – The Honourable Konris Maynard commenced his presentation on the 2025 Budget on December 19, 2024, by providing a comprehensive update on the government’s thrust towards full digital transformation, underpinned by the development and delivery of the Electronic Identification (eID) System that will enable seamless interactions between citizens and government services.

The eID system falls under the Ministry of Information, Communications, Technology’s (ICT) Digital Identity Authentication Project which aims to develop a Digital Identity Authentication System with a card to provide citizens and residents with a secure and reliable means of identifying themselves digitally as well as physically. The project is being pursued in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Commenting on the potential of such a system, Minister of Information, Communications, Technology, Honourable Konris Maynard, said, “Imagine a St. Kitts and Nevis where you can use a digitally authenticated identification to access any government service without the need to provide any other type of information—no birth certificate, no police record, no proof of address. Well, this is literally just around the corner.”

The minister said significant strides have been made on this project over the past twenty months, with the successful completion of the prototyping and system development stages. The project is now in the testing stage. In 2025, the ministry will move towards the system integration process, with the goal of launching the system towards the end of the year.

Minister Maynard assured the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis that all measures are being taken to ensure the highest levels of security and privacy are maintained in the development of the Electronic Identification (eID) System.

The minister reported that a delegation which included the permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Information, Communications, Technology as well as the permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security recently travelled to Taiwan to participate in the first phase of the Digital Identity Authentication Project training programme.

“In Taiwan, they were able to inspect the facility where the digital ID cards will be manufactured. This, I must add, is the same facility that produces Visa and MasterCard products, and, as you would expect, operates with exceptionally robust security protocols,” said Minister Maynard.

In addition, the minister said the ID cards will feature eight advanced security measures. These are holographic artwork with colour changes that cannot be accurately reproduced by colour copiers; kinetic patterns; optically variable ink which is a security ink printed which colour changes as you move the card. The card will also feature guilloche security printing; a relief/raised background which is a security pattern with lines of relief where colour changes cannot be accurately produced by copiers, and MicroText which refers to very fine text printing that cannot be reproduced properly by copying.

The electronic cards will also feature Dot Pattern Printing which is a security pattern printed in dots that also cannot be accurately reproduced by colour copiers, and finally a security chip produced by IDEMIA with a suite of data encryption and security features.

Minister Maynard used his presentation to congratulate Jenna Bass for winning the eID Card Design Competition and whose artwork will be featured on the Electronic Identification (eID) cards.

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