After decades of civil unrest and violence in Somalia, which saw many of the country’s flee and scatter to different parts of the world, today Somalia enjoys peace, life has slowly returned to normalcy, with improved security and a peace which sees many Somalis returning home and participating in the reconstruction of their country. In fact, the Somali Government is encouraging Somalis across the world to return home and be part of this process, saying there could not be a better time to return home, than now.

As far as the country’s telecoms sector is concerned , according to a recent Buddecomm report, Somalia’s telecommunications market is unique in the world. There has been no central government since 1991 when a dictatorial regime was overthrown, but despite the anarchy that followed, the telecoms sector has flourished. It is highly competitive with at least seven mobile networks, which also offer fixed-line and Internet services.

There are no regulations or taxes and no service obligations, tariffs are among the lowest in Africa. However, the absence of regulation has also led to problems with frequency spectrum coordination and interconnection between networks.

In addition, according to Buddecomm, the threat of piracy in Somalia’s waters has so far prevented the country from gaining access to international submarine fibre optic cables, which means that it has to rely on satellites for its international connections. As a consequence, the broadband capabilities of Somalia’s Internet service providers are limited. Plans are now underway to land an international cable in the country for the first time.
Recent progress in the fight against Islamist militias and the formation of a new government are giving rise to hopes that the country may finally stabilise and become more attractive to foreign investment, which is needed to take the telecoms and broadband sector to the next level.

The new government is beginning to regulate the sector and is planning to issue new spectrum licences that will allow the operation of high-speed mobile broadband technologies.

Recent reports highlight progress which include new telecom licences to be issued and a belief that the new government may bring more stability for foreign investment. Liquid Telecom 2013 built the country’s first fibre-optic broadband link, although there is an underdeveloped broadband market. In addition, Dalkom plans to provide connectivity via the EASSy cable from the first quarter of 2014 and Telesom is expanding a mobile wallet service, to enable remittances from abroad. Within this process, the Somali Government has also embarked on an ICT roadmap to fast track the rebuilding of government institutions through the use of smart ID solutions.

The goal is to enable the government to deliver its services to all citizens, regardless of their current e-readiness. We spoke to Mohamed Ibrahim, the country’s Minister of Posts and Telecommunication, to learn what he thinks the future will look like as a result of this drive.

What is your vision in terms of the role of technologies in the context of rebuilding infrastructures?

We decided early on that the only way we could rebuild our country is through the use of technology. After 23 years of basically no functioning government, we needed to find a smarter and innovative way to smart track things in all spheres and institutions – whether population, financial or trade and industry related.

How are these institutions being re-established in terms of the use of specific technologies such as identity systems and methods, broadband installations and so forth?

There are many technologies the Government is investing in at present, but the two mentioned – identity and broadband are specific to the Somalian situation. One of the problems we have is being able to identify people as we lost a lot of records. We are therefore now introducing a smart ID system where we can identify the person, establish where they were born as well as many other details. While a chip has also been introduced in order to record fingerprints and other information, we are going beyond that to be more innovative – for example to provide each citizen with an email account linked to their ID card. This means we are looking well into the future even 20 or 30 years ahead, when we expect many people to have internet access.

In addition we are being more creative with the ID number and looking at this also being a person’s IP address so that in the future, this can link to laptops, mobile phones and tablets, which that person may own. In terms of security, it will also allow us to track people more efficiently and allow us to create a peaceful society of many years of violence.

How much time do you think it will take to reach the next milestones in this journey of creating a digital society?

As mentioned we have embarked on a policy of using ICT-based solutions, starting with the development of the Somali Government’s .so ccTLD which enables the use its domain name for serious government business – that is, emails, video conferencing, revenue collection, voter registration and other e-gov businesses.

Linking the Somali diaspora with their families back home to enable cultural links and strengthening of family ties is another project being developed. The provision of online and radio-based education for those with internet access – as well as those with short wave radios – are some of ICT innovations that will be available in the near future for all Somalis. Others already in place include The Somalia Chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC) and Somalia Open Data. The ISOC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, local professional membership organization that seeks the generation of ideas and cooperation towards the growth and progress of the Internet and its applications among the Somali ICT community, with a focus on the localization of these efforts while also contributing to the larger goals of the Internet Society.

The purpose of Somalia Open Data is to make government data from Somalia transparent and accessible to the public. In addition, the aim is to present the data in such a way that it easily facilitates its use and interpretation, in particular through data visualization and an easy-to-use system for organizing and retrieving data.

What specific government service sectors are being addressed today in terms of creating or rebuilding lost infrastructures?

Apart from the education sector mentioned previously, the postal service is a specific area where progress is being made to re-establish it as a fully functioning operation.

To give an idea of the background to the devastation, in 1991 there were 100 post offices employing staff of 1668 across the country, but by 2012 there were zero post offices and only five people employed.

Today we have made significant progress. We have re-established our membership with UPU – and participate in the affairs of the Union. Similar efforts are underway with other UN agencies, and the rehabilitation of Mogadishu GPO is well underway.

All of this means the Somali postal service will start functioning soon. We believe the service to be the most basic and most common means by which messages can be communicated and goods delivered. Further, it serves as an important medium of communication for business and commerce.

As this level of modern telecommunications infrastructure is an essential requirement for rapid economic and social development of the country, Somalia is moving towards a fully liberalized telecommunications market environment. We are committed to timely delivery of high quality telecommunication and postal services at an affordable cost.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology

Egypt

Atef Helmy, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has more than 30 years of experience in Information Technology, executive management and business. He assumed a number of executive management and leadership positions in multinational organizations with an effective contribution in developing the IT exports industry. As Minister of CIT, Atef Helmy Chairs the Board of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and others. He also oversees the supervision of Egypt Post. 

Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has been forging ahead with its ICT Strategy 2013 – 2017 for digital socio-economic development With its sights firmly set on a forward route to prosperity, freedom .. and social equity, the Ministry’s agenda for ICT sees modernization reaching all key areas of citizen-centric services and development. We spoke to Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Atef Helmy to learn more about the latest achievements in the ongoing implementation of this strategy.

How has Egypt progressed in terms of the ICT revolution and what are some of the major milestones?

The world is witnessing a revolution in information and communications technology (ICT) the scope of which stretches far beyond the realm of the sector itself. No country seeking real, sustainable development and progress can hope to achieve these aims without a strong ICT sector in place to drive the necessary change. The ICT sector, in the next phase, should focus on adapting ICTs to find solutions to issues of concern to the community. While this process has indeed already begun, the sector should develop a community vision based on the principle that development should occur not only in the public service sector but also in the managerial approach of the state and its constituent bodies.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was established in 1999 to develop the national ICT sector. Highlights of MCIT’s journey so far include the release of the National Communications Plan in 2000, the Strategy for Building the Information Society in 2003, the IT Industry National Development Strategy in 2006 and the National Strategy for Communications and Information Technology in 2007.

The National ICT Strategy for 2013-2017 is another important stage of this process. As with previous strategies, it focuses on integrating ICTs across all sectors to serve the national development priorities, which includes preserving natural resources and the environment. In the formulation of this strategy, the primary considerations were the political and economic changes taking place in Egypt, the development of the communications sector both regionally and internationally and Egypt’s national development priorities, in addition to the achievements and challenges of the sector over the last decade.

The new strategy supports the country’s transition to democracy while contributing to the development of the communications sector both regionally and internationally.

How does this translate in terms of facilitating development alongside other ministries in this overall transition?

Some 28 cooperation protocols were signed in 2013 with over 30 Egyptian ministries and 16 government bodies. These protocols include a total of 163 projects with a budget of EGP 2bn, which will be implemented in the coming years. In this regard, the Ministry’s strategy is aimed at shifting towards a digital society to keep pace with global trends, relying on the latest IT and knowledge in order to develop the economic and social systems – and reorganize production cycles. This shift will therefore help improve work efficiency and solidify the role of ICT in the fields of health, education and agriculture, among others. The effective use of IT in these fields will directly and indirectly reflect on the citizens and improve the quality of services offered.

Is this level of inter-ministerial cooperation on digital content boosting infrastructure development?

One of the newest cooperation protocols signed is that to complete the development of infrastructure in the Ministry of Culture (MoC) and boost digital content. Our Ministry is keen to improve services performance in the different State institutions, through integrating the information technology (IT) tools in the government administrative body

MCIT strategy reflects these thoughts, with a main goal to achieve the digital society and activate the IT use in various walks of life, in order to save time and efforts and make the governmental services more accessible. The protocol aims to document MoC cultural content in a digital form that facilitates research and information retrieval. Moreover, this up-to-date form shall help spread the digital content on internet. Therefore, the significance of ICT value-added shall be enrooted. As a matter of fact, ICT, with its value-added, offers various and vital services, thus, strengthening MoC position in the society and worldwide.

The cooperation between the two ministries will result in establishing an economic model with the best revenue by marketing the digital content and in developing human capacity and providing training on computer usage. This is in addition to developing MoC and affiliated working system through the initiative to increase productivity and efficiency of government entities, and finally accessing MoC activities and events on internet.

The new protocol matches the Ministry of Culture new plan aiming to spread the Egyptian cultural heritage to reach all citizens nationwide and all enthusiasts worldwide, a matter that will strengthen Egypt’s position as a leading global cultural hub. These goals cannot be achieved efficiently without new techniques compatible to the spirit of time, or competitive infrastructure based on effectiveness and entrepreneurship in these fields. For example, the protocol stipulates the establishment of an interactive e-portal, technology homes, an e-archiving system, digital transition and e-ticketing system for the Egyptian Opera House, as well as the installment of an automated working system inside the Ministry. In addition, MCIT will provide training programs on computer usage and advanced information systems to employees.

MCIT will also provide the services of the productivity initiative for MoC employees and affiliated organizations, in an attempt to ease communications between the Ministry’s various sectors using cloud computing techniques. In addition, this protocol offers an excellent opportunity for specialized companies to open new horizons, provide new jobs for youth in the required specializations for the projects under this protocol.

As social equity has been mooted as one of Egypt’s major goals, how is the MCIT progressing in terms of community integration?

Community integration initiative aims at empowering rural and marginalized communities through development projects and raising awareness of the benefits of ICTs in cooperation with civil society organizations. The program also endeavors to promote development in rural and marginalized areas through application of technology solutions to establish an integrated sustainable development model. Moreover, it strives to empower women through illiteracy eradication programs, as well as improving services in education, healthcare and in support of small businesses through the use of ICT tools.

Egypt Information and Communication Technology Trust Fund (ICT-TF) was jointly established by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in January 2002. Sponsoring several projects, it aims to investigate the different means by which ICTs can enrich the livelihood of Egyptian citizens and foster socio-economic development .

Can you elaborate on some specific examples?

In the framework of the national plan of the state for human development and the development of marginalized areas, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has adopted a comprehensive program using ICT tools, part of its strategic activities developed as a priority for implementation in the coming years. MCIT pays great attention to human development for all members of society based on the fact that capacity-building and human skills are the key factors of progress and achievement. Computer literacy has become an essential feature of many societies.

Individuals, who do not have such skills, may not find a place within the community. There is no doubt Egypt is facing a major challenge in this regard due to the high illiteracy rate and the presence of many families in the category of low-income people . IT clubs establishment, therefore, came to fulfill the dreams of all who want to enter the information society.

At the beginning of 2000, the idea of creating IT clubs, now known as Technology Homes, came to existence within the national plan of MCIT for digital literacy among a large segment of the society, particularly in remote, poor and marginalized areas; as well as the development of skills among school graduates and Egyptian universities to prepare them for the labor market, and to provide Internet service to facilitate IT clubs’ visitors to communicate with the world.

The project is implemented through collaboration between MCIT and the private sector by providing and fully equipping computer labs in schools, clubs, universities with computers, printers, networks, and Internet access, as well as the key element in this context; namely distinguished trained teachers. MCIT launched an initiative in 2011 to convert a number of the national network of IT Clubs into Technology Homes, which function as ICT-led community service centers. The initiative was created to build on the success of IT Clubs by expanding their scope as a means to further elevate levels of ICT knowledge as Egypt transitions to a knowledge-based society.

Technology Homes – hosted by civil society associations, youth clubs, Red Crescent association libraries, and governmental and non-governmental organizations – offer a range of services for youth, adults and people with special needs, including ICT training, literacy programs, health education and community learning programs. They also provide access to e-government services, simplifying the application process for various certificates and licenses.

The Technology Homes initiative is the first stage in the creation of a “Technology Path of Egypt” – a virtual corridor that will extend across all governorates, including marginalized and underserved areas, with the aim of developing a society of knowledge and technology innovation.

MCIT seeks to reach every neighborhood across the country not only to expand the number of clubs, but also to include activities offered and segments of beneficiary. Currently, MCIT is preparing activities aimed at citizens with special needs and children.

With such rapid development and transition to digital processes, how is Internet safety and cyber-security being addressed and ensured?

Recognizing the importance of ensuring people’s safety on the Internet, MCIT has taken concrete steps to create an interactive platform to share relevant information, best practices, concerns and resources. Within this context, the ministry has taken measures to stimulate dialogue within the community, providing a repository of knowledge and progress in the Internet safety field.

For example, the National Committee for Child Online Safety was launched in June 2013, following the path of the national working group concerned with online safety, which was formed between October 2009 and January 2012, with the aim of activating a national strategy for protecting and empowering children online with the belief that empowerment is the key to online protection. The group works on preventive, protective and corrective mechanisms addressing children, parents and educators.

The National e- Safety Working Group sought a number of objectives including: Dissemination and awareness raising of safe Internet usages at homes, in the educational institutions, and NGOs; evaluation of the current situation of child online safety, and recommendations to adopt new specific policies in the field of child online protection that suit the nature of the Egyptian society and the latest technological developments; creation of a safe environment for children online; Working with similar regional and international organizations active in the same field.

Is Egypt developing cooperation in its ICT efforts both on an international and bilateral scale?

Egypt is actively engaged in a number of international organizations and initiatives working either directly or indirectly in ICT-related fields. Egypt’s role in this regard has developed over the years as the country has gained growing influence in the international ICT community. Our involvement in international organizations and initiatives in ICT – which includes holding positions of responsibility and hosting events – enables the country to influence political discussions that shape international telecommunication policies, to focus international attention on the achievements and potential of the Egyptian ICT sector, and to keep abreast of international standards.

How important is collaboration with the country’s more immediate neighbors and throughout its own region?

In the Arab region, Egypt views cooperation in the field of ICT as a means to support and expand Arab economies. Of particular importance is the coordination of Arab views on ICT-related issues of global concern.

In Africa, Egypt aims to boost development through efforts to integrate ICT across various sectors and by providing expertise and training to build infrastructure and human capacity. Cooperation with African partners also opens markets to Egyptian companies, many of which have considerable experience in large-scale infrastructure projects.

RS Sharma is currently working as Chief Secretary for Government of Jharkhand State in India. He was formerly Director General & Mission Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) where he was responsible for implementing thieambitious and challenging project undertaken by the Government of India for providing unique Identification to all its Residents. Prior to this assignment Mr. Sharma worked with the Government of Jharkhand as Principal Secretary of the IT Department, where was responsible for formulation of State policies in the IT and e-Governance areas. RS Sharma has held important positions both in the Government of India and State Governments in the past and has been deeply involved in the administrative reforms and leveraging IT to simplify the administrative processes.

Applying unique ID for societal development through extended eGovernment

Over the past four years, India has undertaken the gigantic task of laying an infrastructure and creating a robust platform for public service delivery to its citizens. Sustainable Development spoke to RS Sharma to learn more on how India is creating an identity platform in the country, which is inclusive, improving governance and service delivery. In addiiton we asked how the unique identifier, Aadhaar, enables people to access formal systems of service delivery to provide financial and social inclusion.

What is the background to the UIDAI project and in particular the unique ID number Aadhaar?

In India, there are a large number of people who do not have any formal proof of their identity. This has results in denial of a number of services to them. They cannot open a bank-account, they cannot get reservation in a train and they cannot get any mobile connection as some identity documents are necessary to avail these services. In other words, non-possession of any ID document disables them from accessing many services.

Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India. This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India.

Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI can enrol for Aadhaar. Each individual needs to enroll only once which is free of cost. Each Aadhaar number will be unique to an individual and will remain valid for life. Aadhaar number will help you provide access to services like banking, mobile phone connections and other government and non-government services in due course.

I believe that this will fundamentally transform the way we deliver services. The reach of mobile, developments in biometric technology, connected systems and supporting technology are at such a stage which makes this possible. I think it is an idea whose time has come and we should seize this opportunity to implement it well. Aadhaar fills this gap as it is mandated to provide unique identity to all the residents of the country. In course of last couple of years, Aadhaar has also been recognized as a valid document for accessing many services including those mentioned above. Secondly, its capability of online authentication anywhere enables delivery of services more accessible, cost effective and transparent. Banking services can now be delivered at the doorstep of customers through business correspondences (BCs) using mobile devices, which can authenticate identity using Aadhaar authentication. Lastly, its uniqueness property is very useful in eliminating duplicates and fakes from many subsidy/benefit delivery domains as multiple and fake identities in domains like (PDS, Social Security pensions) contributes towards leakages and corruption in these programs.

How is Aadhaar used in terms of providing a financial conduit for Indian citizens?

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) refers to a situation where the benefit, which can be any benefit – subsidy, wages, scholarship or pension – is transferred to the beneficiaries’ account using Aadhaar as financial address. Aadhaar helps in this area in the following manner. Firstly, you can use Aadhaar to open a bank account, if you do not have one. Secondly, it uses Aadhaar as the address to transfer money. It ensures that the money goes into your account only. Thirdly, using Aadhaar authentication, you can withdraw your money – thus facilitating banking at your door-step. It also ensures that only you can draw the money – as it requires your presence and finger-prints at the time of withdrawal. Lastly, it provides an end-to-end tracking of the money from the time of crediting into one’s account till the withdrawal. This simplifies the utilization certificate (UC) issue as now we do not need any further certificate from anybody regarding the use of the money. The money has been successfully transferred to the beneficiary’s account.

One of the least understood and transformational aspect of DBT and Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery is the ‘portability’ which it offers to the customers. You must be hearing about the LPG portability. Let me explain how portability, which means giving the power to the customer to choose the service-provider changes the power equations and strikes on the very cause of corruption and rent-seeking.

If you are a ration card holder getting food at subsidized prices and your FP dealer was not giving you the ration, what do you do? You complain to the supply inspector, members of the vigilance committee and it does not work? You go without your ration and the FP dealer goes on with his/her business! On the other hand, suppose you had the freedom of choosing your fair-price shop dealer? If your village FP shop dealer was not dispensing ration to you, you could have got it from the nearby village’s FP dealer. In fact, the portability will allow you to get it from any dealer of the state. If you have a ration card and you have migrated from Dumka to Ranchi, you will be able to get the ration at subsidized cost from any shop anywhere in the State. Current technology and model does not support it. But Aadhaar enabled PDS will be able to ensure this as now your identity and ration eligibility is on-line! You could, similarly get your MNREGA wages from any business correspondent in the State – similar to the ways in which you are able to swipe you debit card in any ATM of any bank and get the money irrespective of the issuer bank.
Choice to the customers – especially in an asymmetric relationship where the service provider is far more powerful than the individual – is extremely liberating and transformational. It will change the power-equations in favor of the customers which will certainly reduce corruption and rent-seeking. Some examples of portability which have happened are mobile number portability and now LPG portability. Aadhaar proposes to bring this portability in areas where it was not possible hitherto due to technology reasons. Of course, one must not lose sight of the push-back which one can expect from the groups who are expected to be affected adversely!

Government benefits from this in two ways. Firstly, the duplicates and fakes are eliminated, cleaning the delivery system. Government can now benefit more people with these savings. Secondly, if it is a subsidy domain (like LPG cylinder at subsidized rates), then the dual pricing goes away and there is no scope for diversion of subsidized cylinders to non-subsidized usage (like in hotels and restaurants). Just to give you an idea of the extent of subsidy misuse in LPG (through diversion and multiple connections) is estimated to be of the order of 15,000 crores per annum! This leakage is expected to reduce to almost zero after implementing the DBT in the entire country.

How does UIDAI function and maintain the huge database of Aadhaar?

UIDAI is an attached office of the Planning Commission and has been tasked with issuing unique IDs to the residents of India. It is structured as an Authority headed by a Chairman. Director General and Mission Director is the Chief Executive Officer of this body. It has a few hundred people working full time – about half of them are government officers on deputation and the rest half are professionals from various domains like IT, Management and process experts.

UIDAI has, in the last four years that it has been in existence, has created a very robust eco-System which ensures implementation of this project in a time-bound manner. There are many partners in this eco-system like the State Governments, enrolment agencies, certification agencies, device vendors, software companies, printers, India Post, and Banks etc.

At the technology level, UIDAI has one of the most sophisticated technology infrastructures in the world as it processes data of residents at a scale never done in the world before. It uses sophisticated algorithms of de-duplication (both demographic and biometric). It has used open source technologies which are generally more robust and also cheaper.

Are there specific measures undertaken with regard to data protection?

ous threats like hacking, stealing of data and other cyber-attack exist. However, the only way in this context is to take adequate care to minimize the risk of these threats. UIDAI has taken the best possible measures to ensure safety of their data through state-of- art technology tools and methods.

Some other novel practices, which the UIDAI has introduced, are keeping only that data online which is needed for functioning of UIDAI and keep the important data off-line. Biometric data (Finger Prints and Iris scans) is a case in point. After extraction of features from the biometric data, the raw images are kept off-line and are out of bounds for any hacker. Only features are needed for de-duplication.

Another principle, which has been consistently and strictly adhered to, is the encryption of the data. No data in UIDAI data-centre remains in un-encrypted form. Then there are strict physical controls on access. Given all these techniques and processes, I am very confident to say that the data of the residents of India is fully safe with UIDAI.

Is the system open to misuse by illegal migrants?

not of eligibility. This is a unique ID platform in the world where the concepts of identity and eligibility have been logically separated. Till now, we have no pure ID document. A driving license, voter ID card, BPL card or MNREGA job card are all primarily eligibility documents which authorize/enable a person to drive, vote or get subsidies etc.

Your passport is your ID document which is also a document proving your nationality. In absence of any pure ID document, these documents double up as a general purpose ID documents, which enable you, say an entry in the airport. ID is inextricably linked with eligibility in these documents.

In Aadhaar lingo, these are all ‘applications’ built over your identity. From this point, UIDAI has said from the very beginning that Aadhaar is only a proof of identity. It says that X is X. It also has the infrastructure to prove that X is X ( through online authentication). Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship or domicile. It does not say anything about your eligibility to get subsidized ration or any other benefits. Hence it does not guarantee entitlements. Hence, it is not appropriate from UIDAI to expect to carry out a citizenship check about the person before enrolling him/her into Aadhaar. Indeed, like other ‘applications’, citizenship is also an ‘application’ which can be built on top of Aadhaar. As all the existing IDs are physical/paper IDs, it is possible to have multiple identities for one person having different attributes.

For insurance purpose, you become young to get a policy at low premium and for train travel you can become (with the help of another document) a senior citizen, to avail of concession meant for such category! In Aadhaar world, as you have only one ID residing on the ‘cloud’, there is only a single and consistent source of truth.

In your opinion, is there a case for public-private collaboration in India through the introduction of Aadhaar?

believe Aadhaar will have a huge liberating effect on the service delivery scenario. It will make service delivery agencies more accountable to the customers as portability will shift the power-balance in favor of the customers.

For the private sector, it will reduce to cost of transactions. For example, electronic Know Your Customers (eKYC) will enable people to open instant accounts in the banks and get instant mobile connections. Consider just one service domain: getting a mobile connection. With eKYC, there will be no need for submitting ID papers, Xeroxing them and submitting them to the service providers and for service providers to store them in large godowns. Your connection will be instantly activated. It will reduce the cost of storage and photo-copying to the mobile company. Most importantly, it will help in security as your ID papers cannot be now misused to get mobile connection to some undesirable person. Once you have such reduction in transaction costs, some of it will certainly be passed on to the customers. It will help in reducing unnecessary transaction costs to the economy.

Similarly, use of micro-ATMS will result in less cash as you will be able to pay to the village grocer who is also the BC of a bank through your bank account ( peer to peer transfer) and less transaction cost to the banks and poor people ( no transportation costs to travel to the banks). Hence it is expected that use of Aadhaar enabled payment Services (AEPS) has the potential to contribute towards increasing the GDP of the country. It is expected that eliminating cash substantially can contribute as much as .5% growth of the GPD.

Thus, in my view, Aadhaar is expected to bring about substantial benefits to all the stakeholders in the economy, which is synonymous with the growth of the country.

Channeling mobile for economic development

Recently the UAE Government announced its intention to deliver all government services through smartphones and devices under a scheme named ‘Smart Government’.

Here, Dr Ali Al-Khouri, Director General of Emirates Identity Authority, outlines his views on the subject of identity management in the age of mobilification and how the UAE is embracing this trend for the furtherment of benefits to their citizens in terms of digital economy development.

In light of the staggering evolution of mobile technologies, the concept of mobility is gaining more attention worldwide. Recent statistics demonstrate mobile channels’ increasing significance in outreach and service delivery. However, governments and businesses face a challenge in reaping the benefits of mobile platforms: how to confirm the authenticity of mobile users and transactions. Mobile devices, by design, are well suited for enabling authentication and digital signing services, similar to traditional PC and laptop environments. But although various implementations support different authentication schemes, they still do not instill sufficient levels of trust and confidence. In light of this, a solution framework has been adopted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to address recently launched mobile government transformation initiatives.
UAE smart government

The Emirates Government recently announced ts intention to deliver all government services through smartphones and devices under a scheme named ‘Smart Government’. The scheme is an extension of the e-Transformation path of government services that work twenty-four hours and operate as a ‘one mobile stop shop’. All government agencies are now mobilifying, developing mobile apps and enabling mobile payments to process government fees. However, the biggest challenge government agencies face remains the identification and authentication of individuals in mobile environments.

The current and widely used authentication approach is still based on usernames and passwords. All mobile phone users in the UAE need to register their SIM cards with National IDs under scheme called ‘My Number, My Identity’. This registration transforms a default ‘unauthorized device’ into a registered authorized device. Mobile phone and smart device users are prompted to set a PIN during the registration process for logon. Although the basis of ‘Authorized-Device-Authenticated-User’ (AUAD) has been met, the overall approach is still not considered robust in digital security. The UAE is therefore using its existing identity management infrastructure to heighten the security levels in mobile platforms. That infrastructure is based on sophisticated technologies such as NFC-enabled smart cards, biometrics, and public key infrastructure. The infrastructure is designed to support both national security and digital economy development.

Digital identity

As such, the UAE smart identity card comes with a complete digital identity profile, and current infrastructure supports digital identification and authentication of identities through desktops and laptops equipped with smart card readers. The government is now mobilifying its existing identity card features by extending the digital profile to the mobile ecosystem. Figure xx illustrates the advanced features of UAE identity cards. All these features—the use of multi-factor authentication with mobile phones, and PKI-enabled security levels of confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation—have yielded successful test results.
Besides, the UAE has set up a national validation gateway to provide online, real-time identification and authentication services to ID card-based transactions. So in principle, the digital and mobile identity involves the use of a national gateway to provide more secure, online, real-time validation, verification and authentication of credentials: card, transaction, and holder genuineness.

In the ‘card present’ scenario, the digital ID credentials provide the perfect identification and authentication tools for both in-band and out-of-band modes. A mobile device can read the card using contact or contactless interfaces. Thus, whether the device is a phone, tablet, mobile PC, or handheld terminal, if it can read the card, the gateway validates online ID.

This does not thus warrant any further identity or device registration process in the future. The ‘card genuine’ check and data integrity authenticates identity, and provides the authentication response to the service provider with the Government Issuing Authority’s digital signature. The digital signature certificates in the card, accessible by PIN, allow any transaction. The validation gateway thus provides multiple authentication mechanisms.

In simple terms, users typically need to download onto their smartphones or mobile devices a government mobile app with NFC reading capability—either built-in or as external plug-in hardware. Users will need to tap their card only when authentication is required, and the phone will act as a secure element that will interface with the validation gateway. The above design supports the ‘card present’ scenario and provides maximum trust for mobile identities. However, the government comprehends that in the ‘card not present’ scenario, ID services need to be just as strong and secure. Subsequently, an identity authentication platform that accords these services using the national identity management infrastructure brings true mobilification of the digital identity.

True mobility

In the case of the ID card’s absence, the challenge is to find additional proxies that serve the real ID as efficiently and effectively. Considering that true mobility goes beyond phones with SIM cards, the ID authentication platform should be able to provide the ID verification and authentication services independent of the devices.

A mobile phone of course serves the purpose of a secure mobile digital ID proxy if the SIM/ UICC2 registration is done in conjunction with the national ID card. Thus for every SIM issued, there needs to be at least a one-to-one (1:1) correlation of the SIM with the national ID card. It could then be extended to accord an n:1 correlation of the SIM with the national ID card (with multiple SIM cards issued to a given national ID).

The national ID credentials set is planned to further expand to provide:
1. IVR credentials, by enabling registration with a T-PIN
2. an SMS-based credential set, by enabling the registration to an SMS-with a registered phone;
3. a USSD-based credential set by enabling the registration to an SMS-;
4. biometric credentials, including voice and face recognition; and
5. a call-in (call-back) facility for ID verification and authentication.

UICC is the same as the smart chip used in national smart ID cards today and will support mobility as per the GSM Association of mobile operators. UICC is expected to help identify user and application. It has on-board processing capabilities and thus can carry applets and run algorithms. It can communicate using Internet Protocol (IP), the same standard used in the Internet and the new generation of wireless networks. It also can support multiple PIN codes, which better protect one’s digital profile and personal information.

Major new developments in electronic ID regulation are also taking place in the UAE. Digital identity and electronic signature (e-Identification, eAuthentication and eSignature) framework is under review by a federal committee. The legal framework is designed to support building trust in digital environments and interactions, and support the transformation of government services through leveraging the national identity management infrastructure.

Cross-border interoperability

That structure will play a critical role in enabling secure and seamless electronic transactions between businesses, citizens, and administrations, thereby improving public and private electronic services, e-business and e-commerce.Additionally, the overall framework provides cross-border interoperability of stronger forms of identification and authentication, such as eID. All in all, its e-authentication platform and legal framework show the UAE government plans on more stringent rules for service providers, in terms of security, data protection, and overall trust requirements.

Although technological advances may substantially improve some aspect of an agency’s operations, be it a government or a business, they can also create their own set of challenges that must be addressed to achieve the intended benefits. As such, they are double-edged swords. The ever-changing expectations of communication options with government agencies and businesses will continue to create need for more tightly integrated experience across various heterogeneous digital channels.

Emerging mobile technologies, access, and capabilities will regenerate citizens’ expectations for immediate and self-service experiences. Amid all this, governments need to develop digital mobility strategies and put in place action plans to ensure that they are not left behind. Indeed, the future impact of mobile devices on fields such as insurance, banking, education, training, and healthcare can only be guessed.

Establishing trust should be the heart of such plans. Trust is crucial to electronic interactions between users, governments, and the private sector. Governments need to work beyond simple username/password schemes, and provide stronger authentication methods that support security, privacy, and safety in online environments. Building trust in online and mobile environments is critical to the growth of digital identity services and digital economies as a whole, and should become a preoccupation of governments and regulators around the world.

Governments need to understand that today’s digital ecosystem is dramatically different from what it was few a years ago. To protect citizens in cyberspace, all players—governments, network operators, device manufacturers and application/content developers—must work together. Identification and authentication issues will, in our opinion, remain a barrier, hindering the full potential of the digital (mobile) economy. Unless we have complete ID authentication architecture, it is practically impossible to prevent masquerades and identity thefts, abuse of the digital ID proxy and fraudulent transactions. Two basic questions will always need to be asked when evaluating any mobile ID solution: how do we ensure that the identity is authentic and how do we prove that the transaction is genuine?

m-Government transformation

The UAE’s national validation gateway extension is fundamental for true m-government transformation. The UAE mobile identity authentication architecture provides robust and reliable mechanisms to authenticate mobile identities and pave the way for revolutionary mobilified business models.

We foresee modern national identity programs, becoming more prevalent around the world, would serve the purpose of mobile identity best. Governments have been working eagerly to address cyberspace’s challenges and exploit its potential, but success is very limited. To make a true quantum leap, practitioners need to move out of their comfort zones, to examine digital transformation needs. Such examination should take into account overall political, economic, societal, technical, legal and environmental dimensions.

Reinforcing the digital shield

Security agencies worldwide are facing an increasingly challenging scenario. The operational landscape in today’s mobile and digitized world has become more complex, as criminals take advantage of new technology, the ease of international travel and the vastly anonymous world of virtual business. Conversely, according to Interpol, the digital age has also opened up immense new opportunities to police forces – it’s just a matter of police to work with the industry to seize them. We spoke to the Secretary General, Ronald Noble, regarding the role Interpol continues to play in creating a framework for collaborative efforts to shield countries, communities and citizens from criminal harm.

How are technological advancements, in terms of tools and capabilities for policing, being deployed in the face of increasingly sophisticated criminal methods as new challenges emerge in the digital era?

Given the increasingly fast pace of crime committed and that of action needed to counter it – it is essential to provide policing across the world with secure communication channels and instant access to criminal data. In addition to providing these, building capacity in all our member countries to be able to use these effectively is also amongst Interpol’s foremost priorities. Partnerships beyond law enforcement are critical to deal with emerging threats and challenges. In today’s world, innovation resides in the extensive research & development fostered with the private sector. We must work together in forging alliances to pool our resources and reach our shared goals.

This context explains Interpol’s sharp focus on fighting cybercrime, to devise a dedicated setup to help policing tackle the threats of 21st century transnational crime. This is what will take shape – in brick and mortar – in 2014 as the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation’ opens in Singapore.

Apart from the specific threats and criminal activity inspired by cybercrime, have these new developments impacted on the ever-present struggle against terror threats and attacks? 

They have indeed. Consider, for instance, last September’s atrocities carried out at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. This attack was not, in my view, just an isolated incident. It is part of a bigger picture – mainly because it came only days after Al Qaida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had called the group, its affiliates and sympathizers worldwide to ‘bleed out’ its enemies, via frequent, small scale ‘dispersed strikes’ to be ‘carried out by one brother, or a small number of brothers’. This approach almost seems tailored around the new social media landscape to spread propaganda.

Or consider another instance from 2013, the Boston Marathon’s bombing in the United States. Not only was the footage of its occurrence and its aftermath seen live by viewers, shared online and tweeted worldwide in minutes, cybercriminals actually “capitalized” on this incident. Spam mails were sent out with links to seemingly safe videos with updates, only leading innocent users’ systems to be connected with IP addresses in Ukraine, Argentina and Taiwan – instantly making them potential victims of identity theft or fraud.

In fact, such criminal activity is a reminder of the ‘changing landscape’ that is faced by Interpol: where threats could be smaller, less detectable and much faster than before; where assailants could not be only backed by outfits or organizations, but act as ‘lone wolves’; where potential targets could multiply exponentially – 15 billion devices are connected to the internet – and this figure is growing.

There is indeed an evolution in threat messaging in the so-called ‘Information Age’. How does it fit in the context of how the world communicates today?

Certainly this phenomenon, being capitalized on by terrorist organizations is mirrored in broader cyberspace sense: 980 million on-line threats were detected by Kaspersky Lab, one of Interpol’s partners, in the second quarter of 2013 alone. In addition, Internet users have grown in 15 years from less than 200 million to more than 2.7 billion, ready to turn into cyber victims or cyber threats. And in the developing world smartphones are spreading 10 times faster than fixed Internet connections.

This means that a group like Al-Shabab, proudly taking credit for the Westgate Mall terrorist attack, can tweet its attacks in real time. I have already cited how cybercriminals could make use of a terror attack to further disseminate messages for targeting innocent civilians in any corner of the world.

Where does Interpol stand in regard to these trends, both in terms of its own operational developments and through collaboration with other organization whether public or private?

The malware I spoke about in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing was not identified by law enforcement or governments, but by Kaspersky Lab, one of Interpol’s partners in fighting cybercrime. Such partnerships, as I have already mentioned, are a key tool in dealing with the changing landscape of transnational crime in this century.

This is all the more pertinent in a world where demand for Interpol tools and support can only be projected to increase – while financial limitations continue to limit resources. In fact, Interpol stands at a crossroads. One which calls upon our member countries to choose between two possible scenarios. In the first, borders could see half a billion people cross them without being screened, businesses could be run by those with fraudulent identities, planes could be boarded by those wanting to do what we all wish to not let happen, and hotels could be freely checked into by terrorists. Meanwhile, stolen vehicles, illicit goods and fake medicines could find their way easily into our markets; while profits could be reaching criminals and terrorists unchecked. Cyberspace could become an atomic wasteland, where innocents and economies will be easily preyed upon.

In the second scenario – we could take measured risks with the support of our member countries; we could work on forging more partners and alliances, pilot testing projects with them and our member countries; we could work on developing long term ‘products’ to deal with crimes of today and of tomorrow. This is the scenario Interpol hopes to work towards.

How could collaboration for a safer world be achieved and what initiatives is Interpol currently engaged in?

Collaboration for bringing about a safer world needs to go beyond traditional frameworks that bind law enforcement and international police cooperation. It has to be inclusive; it has to combine resources, skills and experiences; it has to strewn through across the public, private and non-governmental sectors.

As far as Interpol is concerned, we have some ground-breaking initiatives which demonstrate what Interpol does best: innovation. The crime areas where our partnerships have been consistently increasing are numerous – ranging from illegal betting in sports to trafficking in illicit goods and counterfeiting – and to pharmaceutical crime. I have already mentioned the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation, which is scheduled to open up next year.

To design the next generation of Interpol screening tools, we have also begun working with the private sector. The INVEX project, which focuses on identifying stolen vehicle on the market is one such example. In partnership with four German automobile manufacturers, this project has led to over 1800 hits and hundreds of seizures. We are confident of now expanding this successful model.

In fact, Interpol’s I-Checkit project, which has entered its pilot phase is somewhat similar in idea. I-Checkit applies a simple principle to our databases such as SLTD (Stolen and Lost Travel Documents) and to businesses already required by law to check customers’ identity.

This principle is of alerting our NCBs with a hit in case of a match by any of our private sector partners while screening individuals. By doing so, the number of passports screened through Interpol’s databases could increase by tens of millions.

You have touched on identity in that last example. What other recent developments in terms of ID authentication has Interpol been involved in, such as DNA identification?

The purposes of identification go beyond the prevention of crime and this is another area on which INTERPOL is increasingly focusing.

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) is a field where Interpol has been working to help our member countries confronted with disasters. Over 80 Incident Response Teams (IRTs) have been deployed by Interpol since 2002 to over 50 member countries – many of these have been with a specific objective of aiding law enforcement with victim identification. As you stated, DNA comparison, for example, is increasingly used for identification of missing persons or victims of disasters and other complex investigations.

Let me cite a case where Greek authorities requested Interpol to publish a Yellow Notice, or a missing persons notice, to identify a young girl found in a Roma settlement. This quest also involved requesting for the DNA profiles of those claiming to be her relatives, which we requested our member countries to share. Now, Interpol’s DNA Gateway currently does not allow such comparisons i.e. kinship comparisons.

Therefore, to be able to enhance our services to our member countries – services such as identifying missing persons based on DNA from relatives – Interpol is working with the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) to be able to complement our DNA Gateway with NFI’s ‘Bonaparte’ software.

Have there been any other successes in this regard such as in criminal investigations and illicit international trade?

There have been indeed. This year actually marks 15 years for Interpol’s work in using DNA for assisting with international law enforcement work. While the success stories are many, I will share two recent cases that speak volumes of the support by our member countries international police cooperation and the potential brings about. Using Interpol’s services, the identification of a man involved in a violent gang rape in 2008 in Norway, was made possible. Years after committing this heinous crime, following arrest for theft in Austria, a check against the Interpol DNA database confirmed the suspect’s identity. This led to his extradition and also to the identification of a second suspect.

Let me share the example of both illicit international trade and that of a non-human case, a field where the use of DNA comparison is increasingly used. In July this year, an Interpol Investigative Support Team was deployed to Sri Lanka for taking samples from over 350 elephant tusks. These tusks were seized from an illegal consignment. Using technology for comparing DNA profiles along with isotopic analysis, poaching hotspots could be located – helping law enforcement better target active criminal networks.

Erkki Koort is the Deputy Secretary General for Internal Security Policy at the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. He has extensive experience in internal security field, being the Chairman of the Council of the Estonian Forensic Science Institute and the Chairman of the Coordination Committee to assure the adoption of the single emergency call number 112 in Estonia. He also serves as the chairman of the Council of Master’s Studies of Internal Security at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences and as the chairman of the counter-terrorism council of Estonian government´s security commission. From 2009 to 2011, Erkki Koort was the head of the working group for evaluating the security risks and developing measures for adopting euro currency in Estonia and a deputy chairman of the cyber security council of the Government´s security commission.

A view from the bridge on some of the challenges and threats experienced and faced by Estonia in its position and leading role as an e-country, based on a digitized society

A term commonly used to describe Estonia’s emergence as one of the most advanced e-societies in the world is ‘e-Estonia’. It is an incredible success story that grew out of a partnership between a forward-thinking government, a pro-active ICT sector and a switched-on, tech-savvy population. Thanks to this success, Estonians and the Estonian state enjoy a wide range of e-solutions and their nation has become the example for others who wish to follow the same path. They say e- identity is a part of e-country, or more specifically – it is an inevitable prerequisite to e-country or e-society. Is the current e-country an opportunity, a challenge or a threat? Citizens today expect to receive faster services from the state and this creates challenges for the state in providing these services securely. The faster the service and the easier it is to attack, the greater the challenge to the state’s ability to respond quickly.

When Estonian political and technical leadership began laying the foundation for e-Estonia, it decided on certain principles:

1. decentralization – there is no central database, and every stakeholder, be it a government department, a ministry or a business, gets to choose its own system in its own time.
2. interconnectivity – all the elements in the system have to be able to work together smoothly.
3. open platform – any institution can use the public key infrastructure.
4. open-ended process – as a continuous project to keep growing and improving organically.

The two key ingredients in the infrastructure are the X-Road and e-Identity or e-ID. The X-Road is a critical tool that connects all the decentralized components of the system together. It is the environment that allows the nation’s various databases and registers, both in the public and private sector, to link up and operate in harmony no matter what platform they use. eID is the nationally standardized system for verifying a person’s identity in an online environment. It opens the door to all secure e-services while maintaining the highest level of security and trust.

Other systems have since been linked, thanks to these. But the Estonian government did not create programming resources – it acted as a smart purchaser. The licenses belong to the taxpayer, but the solutions were created by private companies. That way costs were reduced, while flexibility was maintained.

In this interview, Erkki Koort, Deputy Secretary General for Internal Security Policy at the Ministry of the Interior of Estonia, outlines some of these challenges and Estonia’s position and leading role in establishing technologies, which underpin the development of identification systems and data.

Estonia is seen as a thought leader in ID and has taken up the mantle in regard the whole use of digital data. Why is this?

I can proudly say that we are a leader in this. One of the reasons is that after the Soviet occupation our country developed so quickly and we did not have to go through all the steps that Western Europe needed to make in terms of becoming a digital society, So we just went to the next level and this is what helps us be so innovative. Also close cooperation with the Scandinavian countries has been and is a key element of that.

Given the strong focus on technological development in Estonia, does the country have a strong academic base in technical development and skills?

Yes, we have a good education system at this level however technology can only be implemented if you have an idea first. So it is most important to develop an idea as it will always be possible to find engineers and smart people to help you to implement it. In this regard we have developed the e-country, which is Estonia.

We have had e-government in place for 15 years and it is already a history lesson in our schools. This means we have a paperless government with all its benefits, but on the other hand this can create threats that need to be constantly monitored. For example, in 2007 we were under a cyber attack – in fact, Estonia was one of the first countries in the world to be attacked in this way. But we managed to come out stronger and with the realization that should the ‘e’ be removed from an e country, there is still a need to act like a country in any event in terms of having the correct protections and controls in place as in any governmental system.

Other threats include a desire to find an e-solution for everything – some things are best left on paper; the emergence of the opinion that e-solutions do not require officials; the possibility to use false identities from all over the world. In addition, faster lifestyle and social communication can equal faster crimes.

What are some of the opportunities and benefits that have been derived from this evolution?

Threats do arise, but are far outweighed by the opportunities. For example, our elections are all held online and in Estonia’s 2011 elections we had people from 105 countries who participated in our elections – bringing citizens who are based all over the world into the process.

So e-Estonia means voting in elections from the comfort of your own living room, filing your income tax return in just five minutes, signing a legally-binding contract over the Internet, from anywhere in the world, via your mobile phone. These are just a few of the services that Estonians take advantage of on a regular basis. For their part, entrepreneurs can register businesses in as little 18 minutes, check vital company, property and legal records online, and even integrate their own secure services with the ones offered by the state. Also Estonia’s e-solutions have resulted in an unprecedented level of transparency and accessibility in government offering safe, convenient and flexible exchange of private, government and corporate data.

Are there specific future challenges that will be brought by this digital society and infrastructure?

The e-Estonia digital society is made possible largely due to its infrastructure. Instead of developing a single, all-encompassing central system, Estonia created an open, decentralized system that links together various services and databases. The flexibility provided by this open set-up has allowed new components of the digital society to be developed and added through the years. It is that power to expand that has allowed Estonia to grow into one of Europe’s success stories of the last decade.

So while there are no borders in cyber world, the importance of the size of a country is continuously diminishing and even the geographical location of the country is less important. This means the larger the e-country, the greater its influence in the future, creating the possibility of efficient cooperation between countries.

The Hon. Pereira A. Silima is a member of Parliament for Chumbuni constituency, Zanzibar from 2010 up until 2015. He has been Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Home Affairs since May 2012 to date, handling all matters related to refugee services, prison service, fire and rescue services, community service, and the National Identification Authority (NIDA). His main role is to assist the Minister for Home Affairs running ministry’s political affairs including parliamentary issues. From 2010 to 2012 he was Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Finance.

Interview with Hon. Pereira A. Silima, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Tanzania

The African continent seems to have woken up to a season of consistent development, and sees the wave of digitalization bring ashore numerous important projects, even where ICT infrastructures are still under creation or completion. eIDs are among the main elements introduced by countries throughout the region, to create a basis for efficient and transparent e-government exchanges, and for carrying out secure transactions in the public and private domains.

Tanzania is among the countries currently completing its National ID project. The Hon. Pereira Silima, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, United Republic of Tanzania, illustrates how today’s programs aiming at the modernization of identities and of the national identity management systems have come a long way upwards in the priorities of government-driven initiatives.

What is the status of the National ID project in Tanzania?

Our National ID program aims to enroll all Tanzanian citizens and residents by the end of 2014. Biometrics data of each member of the population are being collected for the first time, and we profile citizens and residents in anticipation of creating a voters’ database to support the democratic elections scheduled to happen in 2015.

The project started in 2008, but its implementation has been really slow at the start. It was on the one hand very expensive, and on the other not seen as a priority back then.

But today’s government looks at the National ID program as one of the main priorities in its agenda and things are eventually progressing at the speed necessary to complete the project in a timely manner.

Tanzania never had a formal identity system and even now the program is not about giving credentials to the citizens, as much as creating a database to gain valuable knowledge about the population. As we look at a number of programs that will support the development of our country, our government looks at this database as a key basis to start with as we work to embrace progress.

What are the main drivers behind the introduction of eIDs in Tanzania?

eIDs increase security by many folds. They are instrumental to combat organized crime, illegal trade and known problems as civil service ghost workers and the losses in tax collection that derive from not knowing who is in our country and doing what. Beyond this they are instrumental in providing the means to each and every member in our population to be included in the country’s path towards prosperity. Secure IDs help each person to assert his or her identity overcoming the black spot of risk related to who will identify whom. This is particularly relevant when it comes to aspects such as access to loans. In the new trust model established, the government acts as guarantor of the trustworthiness of the identity declared by the carrier of the ID presented to the banker, enabling to lower the borrowing interests rates and issue more loans.

The overall objective we pursue by establishing a National database of identities is in fact that of economic growth. We involve the people in this path towards the country’s prosperity by controlling the income from taxes on the one hand, and by establishing efficient and accountable ways to implement social relief projects.

About 50% of the Tanzanian population still lives in poverty and the government trusts that transparent and well aimed interventions, accompanied by financial inclusion programs, will make a significant difference in the years to come, when it comes to enhancing the life conditions for all residents.

How is the National IDs’ database configured?

Tanzania is building up its database to have the opportunity of profiling its population in three main categories: locals (the Tanzanians), holders of a residence permit and refugees.

We segmented the country to start enrollment systematically in select locations and fields, such as main urban aggregates and civil servants as a professional segment. The profiling of the individual person to be enrolled in the new national register sees us work in parallel as a different group is assigned with the task of taking the biodata: 10 fingerprints, digital signature and photography.

At the end of the data collection process, a last step sees us authenticate the information submitted prior to issuing a secure credential to the individual profiled.

The record stored in our national register becomes the best basis of information to work with for the implementation of our eGovernment objectives, for supporting democratic elections and any citizen centric services issued also by other departments within the Tanzanian government. We thus are in the process of designing the database as an interface supporting the possibility for all Ministries to build relations with each member of the population effectively and securely.

Will eIDs also support and facilitate travel?

Indeed they will. In particular, the East African Community, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, who rapidly embraced concepts such as a Customs Union in 2005, a Common Market in 2010 and a Monetary Union, now plans for National IDs to be accepted as trusted credentials for travel around the region.