Introduction

 

Registration of Persons Department (RPD) which comes under the purview of Ministry of Internal Administration is mandated by the Registration of Persons Act No.32 of 1968 to issue National Identity Cards to all citizens of the country who are above 16 years of age.  Elections (Special Provisions) Act No 14 of 2004 necessitates all voters to produce a valid identity document before a ballot paper is issued to a voter.  On the other hand, National Identity Card is one of the greatest vulnerabilities in the country’s national security system and the current NIC needs improvement to have a more secured card considering the prevailing security situation in the country.   In this context, RPD has set up a project to computerize the NIC issuance process to expeditiously deliver reliable, more secured and easily authenticable cards to the citizens of Sri Lanka.   In view of the urgency of this project, it has become necessary to implement this as a turnkey project where all the activities would be undertaken together. This Project has been designed to achieve the concept set forth in the Mahinda Chintanaya and also it is an integral part of the e-Sri Lanka policy road map. 

 

 

Project Objectives   

 

The objectives of the e-NIC Project are to introduce a computerized, secure and tamper proof modern National Identity Card (NIC) to citizens.  This will subsequently improve the efficiency of NIC issuance process and decentralize the structure and by developing a software application to reduce present accommodation of the NIC application backlog a day to zero and to issue existing NIC holders with replacement. This new NIC will provide them a valid and up to date identity document, thereby building and updating citizen NIC data base.  Development of software and hardware and data Center at the Department of Registration of Persons (RPD) in Colombo which is the authority for issuing of National Identity Cards.  Development of RPD branch offices in all 331 Divisional Secretariats to facilitate the process of issuing of Electronic National Identity Cards.

 

 

Expected Benefits: 

1.                  Provision of a modern computerized identity card to the citizens of Sri Lanka at an affordable   cost which conforms to the relevant international standards and comprises of security features  against tampering, counterfeiting or forging.

2.                  Collection and entering of data electronically from citizens at the places convenient to them

3.                  Automation of the approval and other related procedures of the RPD, thus improving the

       efficiency of person’s registration and NIC issuance processes.

 

4.                   Establishment of fully equipped RPD Units at each of the Divisional Secretariat to decentralize  the NI C processing function 

5.                  Development of a centralized database for electronic storage of citizen registration and NIC

       data replacing the existing manual  record room functions. This eventually becomes the  

       national citizen information database which could be used by all stakeholders of the system.  

6.                  Ensure that all information contained in the NIC are accurate and updated and thereby enabling the NIC to be promoted as the main mechanism of identification and authentication of basic personal data.

 

 

Project cost and source of funding

 

The total cost of the project is Rs.4830.6 Mn which is approved by the cabinet and          Government of Sri Lanka is funding the whole project with its own resources.  The initial          preparatory work of the project commenced on 22 June 2006  with the signing of  a MOU between the Department of Registration of Persons and ICTA.  However, this MOU is no longer  in existence as the Government of Sri Lanka decided to fund this Project fully  as World Bank  funds are not granted. Hence, the Project is now being implemented by Ministry of Internal  Administration and the Department of Registration of Persons.  It is expected to issue the new Electronic National Identity Card by 2009 and replacement of the existing cards to be phased out until 2015. 

       

Major Components of the Project:                      

The major components of the project are as follows

·      Development of e-NIC software system

·      Setting up and development of the main Data center at RPD.ž

·      Setting up and development of RPD head office and remote RPD units at DS offices.

·      Data collection and replacement of existing ID cards.

·      Project Management. 

 

Planned Activities:         

 

(a).  e-NIC Tender to develop, supply, Install, implement and maintain following:-

 

n   e-NIC software   

n   Hardware and software for RPD  data center.

n   Hardware and software for RPD branch offices in Divisional Secretariats.

n   Setting up a Mobile Unit

n   Setting up WAN wide Area Network

n    Printing and Personalization of Cards

 

 

(b).   Setting up RPD Branch Offices in each of the 331 Divisional Secretariats

(c).   Training of Assigned staff to RPD branch offices.

                        (d).  Monitoring of Site preparation activities.

(e).       Monitoring and coordination of all activities /Services to be performed by the vendor. 

                        (f).       Project Management