THE proposed national identification system will help Government better target welfare, education assistance and other public services while reducing the potential for people to access support they do not need.
Speaking to The Fiji Times online portal The Lens@177, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica said the national ID will allow Government to accurately identify individuals receiving grants and allowances, helping ensure assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.
“With a national ID, we can actually zero in and identify people that really need the assistance,” he said.
He believes the system could also deliver savings by identifying households that are financially capable of meeting some costs themselves.
Mr Kamikamica pointed to free school fees and back-to-school allowances, saying some well-off families have told him they would be willing to pay rather than receive Government assistance.
Cabinet has endorsed the draft National Identification Bill 2026 which is intended to establish a secure national identity framework to improve access to Government and private-sector services, strengthen digital governance, support financial inclusion and improve service delivery.
The program has been developed following stakeholder and public consultations, with technical support from the Asian Development Bank. The proposed legislation includes safeguards covering privacy, data protection and the secure handling of personal and biometric information.
Following passage of the legislation, implementation is expected to move through system development, pilot testing and nationwide registration.
