New ID cards to be rolled out during first quarter

Barbadians will soon have their technologically advanced National Trident identification cards in the palms of their hands.

Word of this has come from new Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology Davidson Ishmael, who Monday announced that the new cards will be rolled out in the coming months.

The new digital cards will replace the existing laminated identification cards and drivers’ licences. In addition, persons can also opt to have their fingerprints and medical information embedded in the new cards.

Ishmael described the move to the new digital ID card as a simple but integral step in the country’s development.

“This new Trident ID card will be launched during this first quarter of 2022 and I can assure that this project is at an extremely advanced stage of its development and we are confident that, barring [any] unforeseen circumstances, we shall be able to deliver this exciting new Trident ID card in the coming months,” Ishmael announced during debate on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in Parliament today.

“Most of the technical work has been completed and my technical team is currently in the phase of beta testing all the technical aspects of the solution to ensure that we have compliance with international data security standards, and I can assure this House and the people of Barbados that we are checking every detail connected with this card. We want to ensure that it is not just pretty, we want to ensure that it is not just useful and that our citizens feel good having it in their possession, but we want to ensure that it is robust in its security and that it is resilient in all of these features so that they can feel extremely safe and secure in having and using this ID whenever they do receive it.” (RB)