Applauding the Government’s eID Initiative

Dear Editor,
The government’s eID initiative deserves applause. A secure, universal digital identity can do for today’s public services what roads and power lines did for earlier generations: make everyday life faster, fairer, and more reliable. If implemented with strong privacy safeguards and inclusive design, eID can streamline access to benefits, cut fraud, boost financial inclusion, and help the state respond quickly in emergencies.
Other countries offer useful lessons. Estonia is the clearest example: with nearly all public services available online, residents sign documents, fill prescriptions, and interact with agencies in minutes instead of weeks. That time saved translates into real economic gains, while transparent audit trails have strengthened trust. Singapore’s SingPass and its MyInfo system show how pre verified personal data can reduce paperwork across government and banking, speeding up approvals without sacrificing security. Denmark’s national login (NemID/MitID) underpins routine interactions from taxes to healthcare, and digital post has sharply reduced costs and delays.
Large, diverse countries also illustrate the scale of impact. India’s Aadhaar program enabled direct benefit transfers to hundreds of millions, reducing leakage by verifying the right person at the right time. It also made e KYC cheap and fast, lowering barriers to opening bank accounts and mobile services – an important step for financial inclusion. In Pakistan, the national ID system has supported targeted cash assistance during disasters, demonstrating how robust identity infrastructure can be lifesaving when crises hit. The European Union’s eIDAS framework, meanwhile, shows the value of interoperability and privacy by design, paving the way for cross border recognition and a digital identity wallet for credentials such as licenses and diplomas.
The benefits are straightforward. For citizens, a single secure login means less time in queues and more predictable service – applying for benefits, pulling health records, or paying taxes becomes a matter of minutes, not days. For government, stronger verification helps eliminate ghost beneficiaries and duplicate claims, making every unit of public money go further. For businesses, digital signatures and standardized identity checks reduce compliance costs and speed up onboarding, encouraging entrepreneurship and formalization.
If we pair this rollout with the right guardrails – privacy, oversight, security, interoperability, and inclusion – the eID initiative can pay for itself through reduced leakage, lower transaction costs, and productivity gains felt across society. The international evidence is clear: digital identity, done well, is not just new technology – it is essential civic infrastructure that makes government work better for everyone.
Applauding the eID initiative is not about embracing novelty; it is about choosing a proven path to more efficient services, stronger accountability, and broader opportunity. That is a smart bet – and one worthy of public support.

Yours sincerely,
Philip Inshanally