Latest news with #nationalID
CNA
10-08-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Japan Hour - Gaia Series 99: Myna Card Rhapsody!
As Japan rolls out new functions for its national digital ID card, one major city plays catch-up while residents nationwide report confusion and concern.
Coin Geek
16-07-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Italy advances digital wallet scheme; Tanzania cuts VAT rate
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Italian authorities have announced new offline features for the country's national digital wallet, extending its functionality for millions of residents. The new offline capability will allow users to access a range of limited features on the national digital services app without an Internet connection. The IO app serves as a digital wallet containing national identification documents and other citizens' credentials. The app's updated functionalities allow it to detect offline status and automatically switch to a limited mode. In this mode, users can access their stored documents and biometrics without the need for internet connectivity. A drop-down notification notifies the user of a poor Internet connection and advises that the validity of identification documents is tied to the last online verification via the app. Upon reconnection to the Internet, another notification nudges the user to restart the app for a full update of ID documents. 'From today, all citizens will be able to access their digital documents even without a network connection, simply by updating IO, the app for public services,' said Undersecretary of State for Technological Innovation Alessio Butti. 'This innovation is a stepping stone to an effective Italian digital wallet, bringing us closer to the full implementation of the IT-wallet system.' IO launched in late 2024 and has racked up 5.3 million users, storing nearly 10 million digital documents on the app. A close look at the metrics reveals that digital health insurance cards comprise the lion's share of documents stored on IO, while driving licenses and disability cards come in second and third place. Amid the latest update for the national digital wallet, the National Archive of Civil Status (ANSC) has disclosed plans to convert all civil registrations to digital formats. The authority is ditching paper-based recording of births, marriages, and deaths for digital systems. Under the scheme, citizens can sign their civil status documents electronically without needing to visit town halls in person. Furthermore, ANSC notes that it will consolidate all existing digital records into one national repository, giving municipalities an 18-month timeline for adopting digital civil registrations. Embracing digitization for key sectors of the economy While authorities are making progress with digital IDs, the Italian government is focused on integrating emerging technologies into public services. Recently, Italy and India inked a bilateral agreement to collaborate on scientific research involving quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Amid the rush to embrace the technologies, the government is still proceeding with a measure of caution. Italian authorities banned the Chinese AI model DeepSeek for failing to meet regulatory standards after launching a probe into data scraping by AI companies. Tanzania advocates digitalization through VAT cuts Elsewhere, Tanzania has slashed the value-added tax (VAT) applicable to electronic payments by 2% in line with its national objective of embracing digitalization. The government confirmed the reduction in an amendment to the 2025 Finance Act, updating its VAT framework to boost digital payment metrics. The change tapers VAT on electronic payments from 18% to 16%, a policy decision hailed by consumers and enterprises. The new VAT rate will be applicable from September 1 and will apply to payments made through the applicable channels. All bank payments to persons in Mainland Tanzania are considered electronic and will incur a 16% VAT. Furthermore, transfers made through electronic payment systems approved by the Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) will also attract a 16% VAT. To remain eligible for the new rate cut, enterprises must maintain evidence of the electronic transaction in e-receipts. The report notes that the TRA may issue new guidelines for keeping receipts in the event of tax audits. The amended law empowers the Commissioner General to issue rules for the type of enterprises and transfers eligible for the new VAT rate cuts. Tanzanian authorities say the primary goal of the VAT cut is to reduce the reliance on cash transactions while triggering a spike in the number of digital payment channels. The authorities are eyeing a surge in the 'formalization of small and medium-sized businesses' by incentivizing the adoption of digital payments. Despite the range of advantages, critics are still poking holes in the rate cuts. Pundits say the rural-based enterprises will face operational challenges given the absence of standard payment infrastructures. There is also the uphill climb of B2C enterprises adjusting their point-of-sale (PoS) and accounting systems to handle different VAT rates. Experts say a dual-rate VAT system will lead to a raft of unintended consequences, including accounting errors and heightened regulatory action. A keen attempt to boost digitalization While digital payments tie their bootlaces in the country, the Tanzanian government has turned its gaze to central bank digital currencies (CBDC). Previously, CBDC experiments in the African country have inched forward while a national digital ID scheme is cantering toward a full-scale launch. Tanzania is not the only nation cutting VAT rates to turbocharge digital payments. In 2024, Thailand announced a VAT removal on digital currency trading in a law designed to operate retroactively for the Southeast Asian country. Watch: Importance of digitalization for enterprises title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Coin Geek
09-05-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Africa runs risk of becoming 'digital colony,' expert warns
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... One of the continent's top industry experts has warned that African nations must develop their own infrastructure and prioritize digital sovereignty or risk becoming a 'digital colony.' In his keynote address at the 2025 CEO Summit in Accra, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jr. called on African leaders to build technology solutions for Africa and stop the dependence on the West. Baiden is the CEO and founder of Margins Group, an Accra-based identity solution firm that produces Ghana's national ID cards. 'Africa must not remain on the periphery of global transformation. We must build an Africa where data is sovereign, systems are secure, and innovation is homegrown. The time for building is now. In the world that's coming, you either build or you are built,' he stated. According to Baiden, recent global trade tensions, sparked by conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, as well as Donald Trump's tariffs, point to a future in which every region will prioritize self-sufficiency. This includes tech, a sector where Africa has overwhelmingly relied on solutions developed in the West or Asia. This overreliance on imported solutions leaves the entire region vulnerable to shakeups and disruptions beyond its control, Baiden added. It could ultimately make the continent a 'digital colony' that abides by rules it didn't write. 'Imagine a future where your corporate memory, your data, your identity can disappear overnight—not due to your failure, but because of decisions made halfway across the world.' Baiden's warning is supported by data; only 2% of the data produced in Africa is stored on the continent. The region is home to 200 data centers, which account for less than 1% of the global figure. This infrastructural deficit has denied Africans the opportunity to own their data, which ends up in the hands of tech giants that profit from it. Consequently, the region is unable to meaningfully participate in shaping global systems, which are usually designed to best fit other markets. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a prime example: few AI models have been designed to accommodate Africa's diversity in culture and language. While some governments and private sector players are building localized large language models (LLMs), they can't compete with global giants like OpenAI and Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL), whose models are trained mainly on Western data and promote Western values. 'We cannot be spectators in a future designed by others. If we do not act now, we risk becoming casualties of it,' Baiden warned. Egypt invests $256M in digital transformation As Africa marches toward digital sovereignty, the continent's second-largest economy is set to invest EGP13 billion ($256 million) to boost its digital transformation. Egyptian Planning and Economic Development Minister Rania-Al Mashat recently announced the investment, revealing that $177 million would come from the state budget. The aim is to make government service delivery more efficient and make Egypt a regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub, she added. Notable projects will include rebuilding the digital government network and expanding the scope of services offered through 'Digital Egypt.' The target for this year is for a third of the populace to access government services digitally. The government will also train over 600,000 citizens in ICT skills and build new innovation centers nationwide. It targets EGP6 billion ($118 million) in revenue from tech outsourcing services over the next year, although an April report projected that AI could wipe out 40% of Africa's outsourcing sector jobs. The ICT sector has been one of the fastest growing in Egypt, with an annual growth rate of 15%. In addition to direct employment, it has contributed to the growth of other industries by developing homegrown solutions to the country's challenges in healthcare, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and more, Mashat noted. Egypt joins dozens of other African nations investing heavily in digital transformation, with digital identity serving as the foundation of this revolution. Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and several others have unveiled initiatives over the past year to upgrade their citizens to digital ID, with partners like the World Bank and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) playing a big role. Watch: Blockchain is changing Nigeria's tech city ecosystem title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
