Sri Lanka expects to issue its first National Digital Identity this year and to complete nationwide implementation by August 2027, the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy has said, moving a project that has been under discussion since 2012 into its active rollout phase.
Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo this week to announce SLT Mobitel’s financial results for the first half of 2026, the Deputy Minister said the scheme was no longer stalled.
“We have established Digital ID, the project is currently in the implementation phase, and we are hopeful to have the first Digital ID issued within the course of the year and also to have the first full implementation of Digital ID by August next year,” he said.
How the pieces fit together
The Digital ID framework is to operate alongside the National Data Exchange, which is being built to link scattered state sector databases and remove institutional silos. The Government is also developing the “Supiri App”, intended as a single-window portal through which citizens can reach public services.
A secure digital identity system is a prerequisite for shifting Sri Lanka from a cash-heavy economy towards digital payments, the Deputy Minister said, and for digitalisation in education, healthcare, agriculture, transport and tourism.
Network coverage
To support nationwide adoption, the Government is working to raise geographic network coverage from 94 percent to 98 percent over a two-to-three-year fast-track period. That will require 600 to 800 new telecommunications towers, alongside continuing school fiberisation, to deliver a minimum speed of 2 Mbps across all provinces.
The August 2027 target is a longer horizon than earlier public statements, which pointed to first issuance in the third or fourth quarter of 2026. The project has drawn scrutiny over the handling of biometric data, including questions raised by civil society groups about foreign involvement in the contract.
Editor’s note: Daily Mirror’s report names the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy as “Eranda Weliange”. The post is held by Eranga Weeraratne, the name used consistently in this outlet’s earlier coverage and in other reporting on the digital ID project. We have referred to the office rather than reproduce a name we could not verify.
