Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-12-06

Issuing of National Birth Certificates with Sri Lanka Identification Number

- The Registrar General's Department has been vested with the authority to register any child born in Sri Lanka at birth and issue the National Birth Certificate to that child as per the Births and Deaths Registration Act. In terms of the provisions of the Registration of Persons Act No. 32 of 1968, maintenance of National Register of Persons and registration of Sri Lankan citizens who attain the age of 15 years and have attained the said age limit, at their request and issuance of National Identity Cards have been vested with the Department of Registration of Persons. Further, the Department of Registration of Persons has also been empowered to issue the Sri Lanka Identity Number to every Sri Lankan citizen under the Order of Electronic Transactions (Sri Lankan Identity Number) No. 1 of 2019 issued as per the provisions of the the Electronic Transactions Act No. 19 of 2006. Use of the same identification number will enable the Sri Lankans citizens in future to have easy and efficient service during their activities from birth to death and when seeking services from public or private sectors. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E the President in his capacity as the Minister of Defence to issue the Sri Lankan Identity Number online to the Registrar General's Department through information system of the the Department of Registration of Persons and to issue the Birth Certificate of the relevant person by the Registrar General's Department including the said number, was approved by the Cabinet.