The Inter-American Development Bank has approved an $80 million loan to support Peru’s efforts to modernize civil registration and identification services, including expansion of the country’s electronic national identity document.
The IDB said its Board of Executive Directors approved the Specific Investment Loan to improve access to services delivered by the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC), with a focus on rural and Amazonian territories. The bank said the project is designed to reduce costs and processing times for procedures, strengthen RENIEC’s capacity, and consolidate a more efficient, secure and inclusive digital identity system.
The program has three components. The first focuses on in-person service coverage, including modernizing and equipping service centers and registry offices and expanding issuance of the electronic national identity document (DNIe). A second component targets service delivery for people in vulnerable situations through mobile services and equipment, and training for registrars in rural areas and Indigenous communities.
The third component involves technology upgrades, including implementation of an Integrated Identification and Civil Registration System, referred to by the IDB as SIIRC, along with cybersecurity enhancements, data analytics, digital identity capabilities and change management. The bank framed the investment as part of a broader push to strengthen the state’s ability to identify residents and expand access to public services.
By 2030, the IDB said the project is expected to reduce average processing time for the DNIe from 9.3 days to 2 days, increase the share of Peru’s population with a DNIe from 13.9 percent to 74.9 percent, and raise the proportion of identification transactions conducted through digital channels from 24.9 percent to 50 percent.
The IDB said the loan will have a 16.5-year amortization period with a 6-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR. The operation is expected to be complemented by $20 million in local counterpart funding, bringing total financing to $100 million. The bank has supported similar modernization efforts across the region, including a Uruguay and Brazil digital ID broker initiative targeting cross-border service access. TECH5 recently partnered with Peru to bring national digital identity and biometric services to the country.
Sources: Inter-American Development Bank
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
