The Ministry of ICT in Papua New Guinea has announced drafting a new Digital Identity and Verifiable Credentials Bill, following the endorsement of the National Digital ID Policy.
ICT Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr announced the development in a statement, saying the drafting process is now shifting from policy design to implementation of a national digital identity ecosystem.
“Since taking office ten months ago, my focus has been clear – make government systems interoperable, strengthen trust in digital services, and lay the foundations for Papua New Guinea’s digital economy,” the Minister said.
The legislation is expected to underpin the national rollout of digital identity platforms including SevisPass, SevisWallet, and SevisDEx, along with other approved verifiable credentials. The framework draws on international models such as India’s DigiLocker, Singapore’s Singpass, Estonia’s e-ID system, UAE Pass, Saudi Arabia’s Absher/Nafath, Brazil’s gov.br, Argentina’s Mi Argentina, and the European Union’s eIDAS 2.0 Digital Identity Wallet initiative.
The Ministry confirmed that the SevisWallet application is already available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play, providing citizens with an early entry point to register and manage verified digital credentials.
Government authorities are now urging all key stakeholders, including banks, financial institutions, mobile network operators, telecommunications providers, government agencies, education institutions, and professional bodies, to work with the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) and the Department of ICT to ensure full technical, regulatory, and operational readiness by July 2026.
This readiness phase is expected to enable trusted electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) processes, SIM registration, secure onboarding, financial inclusion services, and digital verification of key documents such as driver’s licences, police clearances, education certificates, tax identification numbers, student and teacher IDs, and superannuation records.
Minister Tsiamalili emphasised the transition as a coordinated ecosystem rollout: “SevisPass will verify identity. SevisWallet will hold and present trusted credentials. SevisDEx will enable secure, consent-based data exchange. Verifiable credentials will allow citizens to prove their qualifications, licences, memberships, entitlements, and status.”
He further called on all relying parties and service providers to align their systems and compliance frameworks ahead of the July deadline, stressing that the initiative is designed to improve trust, inclusion, and access to digital public services.
“This is about trust, inclusion, and empowerment. Every Papua New Guinean deserves secure access to digital services that recognize who they are and what they’ve achieved,” he concluded.
