The Hon. Eranga Weeraratne - Deputy Minister of Digital Economy

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Digital Economy, I provide the following answer.

¶ 02 (a) (i) Yes.

¶ 03 (ii) Introducing a digital identity system is a decisive step in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation. Key benefits include: - A 100 percent reliable, biometric-based digital ID verifying a person’s identity from birth to death. - Faster, easier, and more efficient access to public services and private services (e.g., banking, health, education) online. - Strong identity verification reduces and can eliminate fraud and irregularities in benefit distribution and similar processes. - Seamless inclusion of all citizens in the digital economy and financial systems. For example, current online financial transactions using OTPs can be vulnerable to misuse and unauthorized withdrawals; the digital ID will mitigate such issues. - It will support national security and law enforcement processes, preventing multiple or forged IDs, as biometric verification underpins the digital ID.