President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated that within the next year and a half or so, a smart ID card will be introduced in the Maldives, and arrangements will be made to enable payments through it.

The President said this while speaking on the "Nation Chat" program broadcast by state media PSM.

The President stated that under Maldives 2.0, various sectors will be digitalized. Under this, he noted that introducing a smart ID card is part of a major digitalization project being carried out by the government.

A smart ID card is a card designed to include fingerprints and a chip. He stated that with the help of this card, in addition to making payments, significant ease and convenience will be gained in managing one's personal records and obtaining services from various institutions.

"We will hold a physical ID card. However, the nature of the ID card is changing to be digitalized and smart. Changes are coming in a way that almost everything can be done, whether it is making payments or anything else," President Muizzu said while sharing details.

"Everything can be done with that card, whether to seek services from places or to receive services."

The President also mentioned that a bill has now been sent to the People's Majlis to formulate the legal framework required for this work.

"Under this program, all state institutions and state-owned companies, as well as banks, will have to participate. No place will be an exception," the President said.

He also stated that the purpose of digitalization is to eliminate corruption from the whole Maldives and to provide easy services to the citizens in a transparent manner.

President Muizzu has previously stated that the digital economy will be expanded so that it contributes 15 percent to the gross domestic product of the Maldives by the year 2030.

When this work concludes, the government's target is for all services provided by the state to become so easily accessible that they can be obtained from any location in any island.