Sherab Lhamo

The recent Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) conference highlighted user concerns about acceptance of NDI credentials by partner organisations.

Participants emphasised the need for partners, especially financial institutions, to recognise the credentials provided through NDI without requiring additional verification.

One participant said, it would help improve user experience and encourage broader adoption of Bhutan NDI.

As of 17 June, 2024, there were 92,000 registered Bhutan NDI users.

Bhutan NDI wallet is now integrated with all citizen services (G2C), eRails, digital degree certificates, DHI services, TashiCell self-care portal, and mBOB.

However, no private sector entity has been integrated with Bhutan NDI so far.

The secretary of GovTech, Jigme Tenzing, said there was a need for the private sector to develop services and applications to leverage NDI’s secure identity system. The collaboration is seen crucial for maximising the benefits of NDI and transforming Bhutan’s digital landscape.

During the open forum on accessibility to NDI platform, participants exchanged insights on how Bhutan NDI could be better and more accessible.

Participants said that it could also be made inclusive for those people with disabilities such as voice activation feature. Participants also suggested establishing an in-person help desk to address user issues that cater to their specific needs and emphasised the need to provide hand-holding services for rural populations.

A panel discussion with representatives from DHI, GovTech, and the National Land Commission (NLC) explored leveraging Bhutan NDI for innovation and business opportunities. The discussion aimed to identify how citizens can effectively harness NDI, focusing on empowering opportunities and enabling factors.

Jigme Tenzing highlighted the significance of NDI in establishing a reliable identity system. Previously, individuals had to travel long distances to government offices for face-to-face interactions, where bureaucrats identified service users based on physical presence.

Bhutan NDI, he said, provided an opportunity to overcome physical boundaries ensuring accountability, efficiency and transparency in government services and added that NDI’s biometric authentication offered a superior level of confidence compared to traditional username and password methods.

Data privacy, a concern?

NDI project’s decentralised approach addresses the data privacy concern  by storing user information within individual digital wallets rather than a central location. The approach mitigates the risk of data breaches and unauthorised access commonly associated with centralised systems.

The secretary of NLC, Tshering Gyaltshen Penjor, said all the NLC processes were digitalised and transactions were on e-support.

The Commission, however, faces challenges with identity.

NLC sees NDI project as a critical solution as it provides a secure digital identity system to these issues, fostering trust and efficiency in land transactions.

The NLC is currently discussing system integration with GovTech and NDI.

The CEO of DHI, Ujjwal Deep Dahal, said the use of blockchain added a new dimension to the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and decentralised identity.

By giving users true online identities, NDI could unlock economic growth through new services and a more vibrant digital economy, he added.

However, data privacy and security remain important considerations.

“But the potential to diversify Bhutan’s economy beyond traditional sectors is significant, “ said Ujjwal Deep Dahal.

More than 60 participants attended the conference that was organised by GovTech in partnership with Bhutan NDI company.

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