KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) has launched a new application, "ID Mobile Kuwait," via which citizens and residents can obtain a digital civil identification card that can be used in various government and non-government transactions. PACI Assistant Director General Musaed Al-Asousi said yesterday that the application was launched in line with the Ministerial Resolution 1/2020, issued by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and PACI Chairman Anas Al-Saleh.

The authority has also launched another service, "Authentication," for safe access to electronic services and transactions, in addition to e-signature site, "Signature Digital," for electronic documents for public and private authorities.

Asousi added that the application could be effected by self-service or by referring to PACI's bureaus. However, due to current extraordinary circumstances in the country, effecting the application with these methods is halted, thus PACI has developed another method via smart phones. The application for now solely provides issuing a digital ID card as a replacement to the material one. Digital authentication will be available soon through smart phones.

Asousi added that the application is a digital alternative to the tangible ID card, amid current circumstances related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) where PACI could not distribute IDs through conventional ways. The digital application is useful for those who cannot not get their physical IDs, kept in automated delivery machines, before work was halted on March 12, or for those whose cards expired during the time since then.

Asousi noted further that priority of giving the digital service would be for those whose IDs expired and have new ones kept in the delivery automated machines or those who applied for renewing the ID via PACI website. Exemptions for now includes newly born, those who filed for registration first time, applicants for cards who lost theirs and domestic workers.

Full information about the application are available on PACI's website: www.paci.gov.kw. Technical support is available by emailing the website, "[email protected]), or by sending a WhatsApp message via number: 50008018. - KUNA