The EU’s European Regional Development Fund will be contributing €6,555,495 to the ID cards renewal project, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Parliament in reply to a question by Labour MP Owen Bonnici. The cost of the project is estimated to be €7,712,347.

Dr Gonzi said there were other countries that had biometric systems. Malta was following the EU model.

The electronic information system in the eID cards would include details required by the ID Cards Act as well as systems of digital certificates which allow people to access electronic systems and new e-government services, including those relating to health.

All this would be done within required security parameters.

Dr Gonzi said an evaluation was ongoing of electronic solutions which would allow eID cards to be used for on-line payments and similar functions. Biometric details would include a digital photo of the holder’s face and other biometric details on which decisions still needed to be taken.

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