File photo taken from Ministry of the Interior's official website
Taipei, June 23 (CNA) The government is mulling the idea of issuing new ID cards containing a chip, and will solicit public views through seminars, workshops and public opinion polls, the Ministry of the Interior said Friday.
Chang Wan-yi , director of the Department of Household Registration, said it has worked out a draft proposal on the new card, and will communicate fully with the public on the issue.
Chang said the current ID cards have been in use for many years, and the appearances of the holders have changed with the passage of time.
This, coupled with the increasing number of forged or counterfeit ID card cases, has made it necessary and an urgent task to replace the current ID cards, Chang said.
On July 14, a seminar will be held at the international convention center of the National Taiwan University Hospital, with government officials, civic groups, local and foreign experts and scholars, as well as members of the public, taking part.
The ministry has said that experts and scholars from Germany and Estonia will also take part, noting that Estonia has long used chip ID cards, while Germany issued chip ID cards a decade ago.
Chang said the new ID card being studied will combine the function of the current ID card, as well as a citizen digital certificate, an internet ID for bilateral identification while you are exchanging information on the internet.
Amid reports that the budget for issuing the new ID cards will be NT$3 billion (US$98.7 million), Chang said the expenditure will have to take into consideration counterfeiting prevention technology and the quality of the cards, as well as future developments.
The current plan is to work out a final proposal and submit it to the Executive Yuan for approval at the end of this year or early next year.
The issuing of the new cards will be completed within four years of receiving the approval, Chang said.
The ministry said late last year that the use of chip ID cards is a world trend, and that its initial plan is to unveil a chip ID card that will combine the citizen digital certificate and national health insurance card, but will not contain data on medical records.
