Sri Lanka to issue a “Sri Lankan Identity Number” for every child at birth. In the future Sri Lankans will be given the opportunity to get done the activities easily and efficiently when obtaining services from the birth to death by utilizing a unique identification number. This proposal was approved by the Cabinet.

The resolution submitted by the President, as the Minister of Defence to issue “Sri Lanka identity number” to the Department of Register General across the database of the Department of Registration of Persons and to issue the birth certificate of the relevant individual by the Department of Registrar General including the received identity number was approved by the cabinet of ministers.

The Department of Registrar General is entrusted with the authority to issue the national birth certificate to a child at the birth of any child born in Sri Lanka in terms of the Births and Deaths Registration Act. Whereas the Department of Registration of Persons is entrusted with the authority to maintain the national individual registry as well as to register and issuance of national identity cards to the Sri Lankan citizens those complete and is completing 15 years as per the provisions of the registration of persons act No 32 of 1968.

Furthermore, the Department of Registration of persons is entrusted with the powers to issue Sri Lankan identity number for every Sri Lankan citizen under electronic transaction orders (Sri Lanka identity numbers) No. 1 of 2019 issued as per the provisions of the electronic transactions act No 19 of 2006.