MasterCard has been contracted by the Egyptian government to roll out a digital ID programme that links citizens’ national ID to the country's existing mobile money platform.
The system will allow the government to issue digital ID cards which can be used to pay for a number of services including government fees, mobile bills, merchant purchases and domestic remittances. In addition, salaries and social benefits will be electronically disbursed through the card.
As part of the agreement, MasterCard and Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will work together build an innovation center in Cairo that will house the card scheme's latest technologies and make them available in the market.
H.E. Atef Helmy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, comments: “With Egypt’s mobile penetration rate at more than 100 per cent and an existing interoperable national mobile money platform, this collaboration with MasterCard will provide millions of Egyptians with access to an innovative, safe and simple way to conduct financial transactions using their national ID card.”