Maldives is set to introduce a new Smart ID Card within the next 18 months as the government moves to modernize the country's national identification system and expand digital services.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced the plan during the third episode of the 'Nation Chat'podcast, highlighting the administration's broader efforts to accelerate digitalization across key sectors.

According to the President, work has already begun to transform the existing national identification system into a more advanced Smart ID Card framework.

The new system is intended to provide citizens with greater convenience by combining identification functions with access to financial and other services.

The Smart ID Card is being developed with the ability to facilitate financial transactions, potentially allowing citizens to use a single identification tool for a wider range of everyday services.

The government expects the transition to take place over the next year and a half.

The initiative forms part of a wider government effort to modernize public services and reduce the need for citizens to interact separately with different state institutions.

As part of this digital transformation, the administration is also working to bring services currently offered through individual government agencies together on a unified digital platform.

The planned system is expected to make government services more accessible while reducing administrative processes and creating a more integrated digital experience for citizens.

The Smart ID initiative therefore represents a broader shift toward a digitally connected public service system, with the government seeking to make identification, financial transactions and access to government services more streamlined through a single platform.