Papua New Guinea has formally launched its national Digital Public Infrastructure program, introducing a new digital ID, SevisPass, and a companion identity wallet, SevisWallet. The announcement was made on November 24 during the Digital Transformation Summit 2025, where Prime Minister James Marape outlined the plan to modernize identity management and expand access to digital services.
The initiative follows the government’s endorsement of the National Digital Identity Policy 2025, developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology. The policy establishes a framework for a foundational digital ID system intended to streamline public service delivery, reduce fraud, and strengthen data protection as the country adopts more digital channels across sectors. It aligns with Papua New Guinea’s broader legislative roadmap under the Digital Government Act 2022.
TECH5 serves as the government’s technology partner, supplying biometric and wallet infrastructure through its T5-OmniTrust platform. Components include decentralized contactless capture via T5-AirSnap, biometric matching through the T5-OmniMatch ABIS system, and storage of digital ID credentials in machine-readable formats using the T5-Cryptograph. The company describes the deployment as one of several national-level implementations of its decentralized digital ID technologies.
Tiered ID Assurance Structure
Papua New Guinea is implementing a tiered model for SevisPass:
Tier 1 provides a low-assurance digital ID based on basic demographic information and biometric data. It is intended for low-risk transactions and pre-registration into other identity systems.
Tier 2 introduces a higher level of assurance by incorporating government-issued identity documents that are verified through data anchors such as the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority.
Tier 3 adds a high-assurance digital ID requiring biometric data and multiple supporting documents, designed for interoperability across government platforms and secure service delivery.
Tier 4, expected in the future, will build on these foundations with real-time authentication, trust scoring, continuous verification, and AI-driven anomaly detection.
Citizens can choose their desired level of assurance through an online portal, with digital IDs issued directly to the SevisWallet, which includes single sign-on functionality.
Early Use Cases and Integrations
Initial use cases include a city pass for Port Moresby residents, a digital ID for public servants, support for bank account opening with MiBank, and integration with the civil service e-recruitment platform. These early applications are intended to serve as pilots for broader adoption across additional services.
During the Summit, ICT Secretary Steven Matainaho emphasized that SevisPass is structured as the foundation of a long-term digital services ecosystem, noting its alignment with international standards and the importance of privacy protections as the system scales.
TECH5 leadership said the deployment reflects growing demand for decentralized digital ID infrastructure within national programs, with Papua New Guinea aiming to position itself at the forefront of digital public infrastructure initiatives in the region.
Papua New Guinea previously launched SevisPass for the security sector in March 2025 and has been working to clear a significant backlog in its National Identification system. TECH5 has been active in digital ID deployments globally, including recent patent grants for privacy-focused multi-biometric systems.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
