The government has launched a major project costing US $25 million for the issue of computerized National Identity Cards (NICs) to all those over 16 years of age in time for any elections if any, a spokesman for the Registration of Persons Department said on Tuesday.

Commissioner for the Registration of Persons, A. G. Dharmadasa told ‘The Island’ that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake as the Minister for Internal Administration had obtained Cabinet approval for this project.

The Ministry Advisory Committee chaired by Secretary Dr. Upananda Vidanapathirana and representatives of the Departments of Elections Immigration and Emmigration, Motor Traffic, Census and Statistics and the Central Bank decided that a computer data base should be prepared while the department was computerized to accelerate the issue of National Identity Cards.

"We have deployed 35 cadres to man 35 computers and compile all old data from the time of commencement of issuing identity card to all those over the age of 18 in 1972. Last year we commenced the computerisation of all data with records of 1988 and this year expanded to 35 computers", he said