'Issuance of smart IDs to start in May 2016'

AMMAN — Issuance of smart ID cards for citizens will start in May 2016, Marwan Qteishat, director general of the Civil Status and Passports Department, said Tuesday.

"When issuing the smart cards, we will include the biometric data of individuals. We will start with fingerprints and later include iris scans," he said over the phone.

The smart ID cards will initially contain basic information about citizens. They will later be used to replace the driving licences, health insurance and social security cards, Qteishat said.

"This is a very important project because smart cards are very efficient and will include all the required information about citizens. This one card can replace many cards in the future," said the official.

Discussions are under way on whether the cards will be issued at no charge or not for the first time, he said, adding that smart cards are highly secure.

In November, the Cabinet approved the procedures to move forward with the smart ID card project to be implemented in two stages in 2016.

Measures will be announced soon on how to register citizens. Five million smart ID cards will be issued in 2016, according to the government.