The Government will finance a new independent body, the National Digital ID Authority, to oversee the rollout of Fiji’s national identification card, Reserve Bank of Fiji chief manager financial market officer Petaia Tuimanu said during a public consultation in Labasa. The announcement clarifies the long-term funding and governance arrangements for the project after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to underwrite the consultation phase.
Speaking at the Labasa Civic Centre, Mr Tuimanu said the authority will be charged with the registration, management and security of the digital ID system. “The National Digital ID Authority will be government‑funded but operate independently, with its own leadership and structure,” he told attendees when asked whether the ADB would fund the organisation’s establishment. He added the body will have “its own chief executive officer and staff.”
Government funding, Mr Tuimanu said, will cover all operational costs required to run the authority — including staffing, equipment and public awareness campaigns designed to drive registration. “The aim is to make registration as accessible and secure as possible while maintaining efficiency in service delivery,” he said, underlining that resource allocations will include outreach and communications work.
A key role for the authority will be taking the programme to remote parts of the country. Mr Tuimanu emphasised the responsibility for outreach to remote communities, a function many stakeholders have flagged as essential given Fiji’s dispersed geography and the need to ensure equitable access to identity services. The authority will therefore combine operational rollout with targeted public education to raise awareness and support uptake.
The move to fund an independent authority forms part of broader government reforms aimed at modernising services and cutting administrative delays, officials say. By establishing a dedicated, standalone agency with its own leadership, the government signals a shift toward institutionalising the digital ID project rather than managing it solely through existing departments or temporary project teams.
The ADB’s current role remains limited to financing the consultation phase, Mr Tuimanu confirmed. How quickly the National Digital ID Authority will be constituted, the timing of CEO recruitment, and the detailed operational plan for nationwide registration were not disclosed at the Labasa meeting. Those details are expected to emerge as consultations progress and the government finalises the new authority’s governance and implementation timetable.
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