Mizzima-Sept 22
Myanmar’s military-run Ministry of Immigration and Population has launched a pre-qualification tender for 110,000 national e-ID smart cards and paper credentials for the 2026-27 fiscal year, Biometric Update reported on 8 September. According to the report, the pilot covers chip-based smart cards and paper credentials carrying digitally signed barcodes, and local firms are invited to lead bids together with international technology providers. Biometric Update said the ministry did not respond to its request for comment. Mizzima could not locate the tender notice independently, and the report did not give a closing date, a budget or the names of any bidders. The 10-digit unique identification (UID) number that the cards would carry is already compulsory for some purposes. The ministry announced that from 1 May 2024, citizens without a UID number would not be allowed through border checkpoints into China, Thailand and India, and a UID number is also required to apply for or renew a passport. The e-ID Department’s website says the program aimed to enroll 70 million adults by the end of 2025. On 21 September its counter showed 7,953,556 total registrations. The page does not say when the figure was last updated, and Myanmar Tech Press reported the same number a week earlier, so it is unclear whether the count is current. Biometric Update said the card system ties into the Person Scrutinization and Monitoring System (PSMS), which it described as a tool for tracking military conscripts and enforcing travel restrictions. Mizzima could not verify that link. Human Rights Myanmar said in a May 2025 submission to the UN human rights office that the military claimed PSMS flagged 1,657 “fugitives” who were arrested between 7 March and 21 May 2025. Other reports attribute a similar figure to Mandalay Region police with different dates, and the original statement could not be located. Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2026/09/22/38787
