Friday 22nd May, 2026
Following the endorsement of the National Digital ID Policy, the Ministry of ICT has commenced the drafting instructions and proposed Bill for the Digital Identity and Verifiable Credentials legislation.
ICT Minister Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jr, in a statement today announced that the drafting process follows the endorsement of the National Digital ID Policy, stating that it begins a path for a legal framework that will enable citizens to securely identify themselves and access trusted digital services.
“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,” Minister Tsiamalili stated.
The proposed legislation will support the national rollout of SevisPass, SevisWallet, SevisDEx, and other approved Verifiable Credentials, drawing from global best practices such as India’s DigiLocker, Singapore’s Singpass, Estonia’s e‑ID, 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.
“The SevisWallet App is now available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play, giving citizens a practical pathway to register, hold, and present trusted digital credentials,” he said.
Minister Tsiamalili urged all key partners, including banks, financial institutions, mobile network operators, telcos, government agencies, education institutions, and professional bodies, to work closely with NICTA and the Department of ICT to complete technical, regulatory, and operational readiness by the end of July.
This readiness will enabletrusted electronic Know Your Customer(eKYC) processes, SIM registration, secure onboarding, financial inclusion, and digital verification of credentials such as driver’s licences, police clearances, student and teacher IDs, education certificates, tax identification numbers, and superannuation records.
“We are moving from policy to implementation,” Minister Tsiamalili emphasized. “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 called on all relevant agencies, issuers, verifiers, and relying partners to align their systems and compliance pathways to support the rollout by July 2026.
“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,” Minister Tsiamalili concluded.