NADRA’s Pak ID app gets digital ID storage, face verification upgrade

Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has unveiled the latest version of the Pak ID mobile application (version 3.8.1) with advancements that support digital ID storage and facial verification.

According to Tech Juice, the objective of the novelty is to strengthen access and security for the app users.

With the addition of the face verification feature, elderly persons or those who have issues with their fingerprints, will have an alternative method to complete their ID verification. The existing fingerprint verification system is contactless and can be completed using a smart phone camera.

For the digital ID storage, users of the app can keep the digital version of their national ID card on their mobile device to be easily used for transactions requiring identity authentication.

The Pak ID app is a digital ID service which allows Pakistanis to carry out many transactions digitally. It is one of the many solutions driving the country’s digital government agenda.

With the possibility of uploading documents and submitting biometric data via the platform, users can rely on it to follow up all processes related to applications for national ID cards and family registration certificates.

The upgrade also makes it much easier to request changes to one’s national ID card, something that will bring great relief and convenience to citizens.

NADRA says the retouch of the app is part of efforts to continuously improve the efficiency of its digital services, and further reduce the need for physical documents and processes in accessing certain public services.

Early this year, NADRA migrated all services from the Pak ID website to the mobile application.

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Pakistan’s financial inclusion push

The Pak ID app upgrade is in line with the country’s ongoing digital transformation efforts highlighted by strides made in aspects such as financial inclusion which is contributing significantly to the growth of its digital economy.

An analysis published by Development Asia, an initiative of the Asian Development Bank, explores how digital solutions in the financial sector are helping to bridge the financial inclusion gap.

The analysis notes that while small and informal sector businesses have faced difficulties related to credit access and digital payment methods over the last 15 years, the increasing availability of these digital financial services and infrastructure is helping those who are not formally banked to be able also participate in the business economy. Pakistan’s mobile banking sector is also driving financial inclusion.

The authors cite the growing popularity of mobile money services in the country, arguing that they offer “huge potential to improve lives by enabling low-cost, fast, safe, and easy transactions.” They allude to examples from India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and China’s P2P and P2M systems where instant payments are crucial in exploring the full potential of sectors like retail and merchant services.

With progress in digital adoption notwithstanding, the analysis posits that much efforts, including the putting in place of the right policy and regulatory environment, still have to be made in order to trigger full adoption. Such frameworks, coupled with strong government leadership, will go a long way in not only encouraging merchant and consumer adoption, but in expanding the country’s digital finance ecosystem, the authors contend.

The write-up also makes the case for closing the financial inclusion gender gap, an areas which is said to be already receiving attention though the Women Inclusive Financial Sector Development Program implemented by the Asian Development Bank, intended to “boost financial inclusion for women through comprehensive reforms in policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks.”

Regionally, Pakistan is also viewed as an emerging player in the digital transformation field with strides already being registered in several areas including AI adoption, tech startup ecosystem, and digital finance, just to cite these.