The Papua New Guinean government has announced that it will require all business entities participating in state tenders to use the national digital ID as a mandatory form of authentication.
Papua New Guinea is set to mandate their national digital ID system for all business entities involved in government procurement authentication, marking the first expansion of the SevisPass platform from individual users to the commercial sector. Peter Tsiamalili Jnr who [1] is the Acting Minister for Department of Works and Highways made announcement made [2] at Contractors Conference in April 2026. “Digital ID is a one-stop shop. Going forward, every submission on any procurement will require a Digital ID to authenticate exactly who you are. If you have not accustomed yourself to where technology is heading, you will be left behind,” said Peter Tsiamalili Jnr. “AI is a tool that is cross-cutting. It isn’t just for civil works; it is even impacting the legal perspectives of our government, Industry players must adapt to these tools because they are the primary drivers of modern efficiency.”
Ministers claim the implementation of digital IDs for businesses aims to promote transparency and mitigate fraud. This initiative aligns with [3] the National Digital Identity Policy 2025, which outlines the government's plan to provide a secure and interoperable digital ID to every citizen. Timothy Masiu who [4] is the Minister for Information and Communication Technology said in the statement, “As Minister for Information and Communications Technology, I am proud to champion the Digital ID Policy 2025, a transformative step toward a secure and inclusive digital future for Papua New Guinea. This policy establishes SevisPass as a trusted digital identity, enabling seamless access to government, financial, health, and education services for all citizens.”
The National Executive Council or NEC also approved a proposal from the Department of Information and Communications Technology aimed at creating a Digital Identity and Trust Framework. According to government sources, the digital ID is designed for utilization with public services and has the potential to enhance data protection within the country. The SevisPass [5] a digital infrastructure, is expanding its capabilities to include remote Know Your Customer or KYC checks for online banking, indicating that the identity infrastructure required for procurement is also being applied to private sector financial services. The government's requirement for digital ID authentication in procurement submissions suggests that private sector participation in the SevisPass ecosystem is becoming a prerequisite for conducting business with the state.
Consultations continue regarding the draft National Sovereign Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a comprehensive plan designed to integrate Papua New Guinea's digital government, digital public infrastructure, critical digital infrastructure, and AI adoption on a national level. The draft strategy [6] was released for public comment on March 23rd. James Marape who [7] is the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea said in the statement, “Fellow Papua New Guineans, government exists to serve you simply, fairly, and with respect. Around the world, Artificial Intelligence is changing how services are delivered. Used responsibly, AI can help government reduce delays, cut paperwork, improve accuracy, protect public money, and make services easier to access especially for people who live far from major centres. This Citizen Guide explains, in plain language, how Papua New Guinea will adopt AI in government in a way that protects your privacy, keeps humans accountable for decisions, and respects our culture and heritage. AI must never replace the values of public service. It must strengthen them fairness, transparency, integrity, and trust. Thank you for being part of PNG’s digital future.”
The document outlines that future applications of artificial intelligence will be integrated with fundamental components of digital public infrastructure or DPI, including digital ID SevisPass, [8] payment system SevisPay, data exchange system SevisDEx, digital wallet SevisWallet, and SevisPortal. “Papua New Guinea is embarking on a transformative journey to establish a robust and inclusive Digital Identity and Trust Framework, a foundational step towards realizing its broader vision for Digital Public Infrastructure. At the heart of this initiative lies SevisPass, a digital ID credential designed to serve as the cornerstone for secure, inclusive, and interoperable access to both public and private services,” said the Executive Summary.
SevisPass Digital ID was [9] initially trailed in 2024 and officially launched the following year in 2025. TECH5, [10] a company specializing in biometrics and digital identity solutions, has been selected as the technology partner by the government for this project, offering its T5-OmniTrust platform. Papua New Guinea is set to implement a tiered system for ID assurance. Under this plan, citizens will have the option to obtain a Tier 1 SevisPass, which offers a low assurance level and allows for the creation of an initial identity profile necessary for pre-registration into other identification systems. The issuance of this ID will necessitate the collection of biometric data and certain mandatory demographic information.
Rob Haslam who [11] is the Chief Strategy Officer at TECH5 said in an interview, “With this project, we are cementing our leadership of the Digital Public Infrastructure space where we bring together our entire portfolio of technologies to create trust frameworks where citizens, governments and private enterprises alike can extract and create value from trustable digital ID. This project is now one of three national-level implementations where TECH5’s technology is bringing digital ID into the 21st century. We are proud to be part of this transformational initiative in PNG and trust shown by the DICT in our capabilities to deliver.”