Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan has announced that smart national identity cards with integrated digital identification features will be issued starting next year.
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Ihusaan said the Government is undertaking extensive efforts to digitalise public services and consolidate systems currently operated by individual agencies into a unified digital platform.
He said the introduction of the smart ID card will coincide with the rollout of the national digital ID system. According to the Minister, approximately 272,000 individuals aged 10 and above have already been registered under the digital ID system, representing about 80 per cent of the population.
Minister Ihusaan also noted that 17 Government agencies have been integrated into the OneGov platform over the past two years. Services that were previously delivered through manual processes are now available digitally through the platform, improving efficiency and accessibility.
The initiative aligns with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s broader development agenda, which aims to expand the digital economy to account for 15 per cent of the Maldives’ gross domestic product by 2028. As part of this vision, the Government has launched the “Maldives 2.0” initiative to accelerate the digitalisation of public services and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.