THE National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), which excels in the use of modern technology, has launched contactless biometric verification services for the banking and payments industry at the request of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
It is a matter of pride that capitalizing on technical advancements, and as per the request of the SBP, NADRA has launched the latest initiative, making Pakistan one of the first countries in the world to implement this technology on a national level.
This is, indeed, yet another feather in the cap of NADRA, which is rendering a variety of services to facilitate citizens.
The new system would allow banks to make use of the digital app on Smartphones registering and verifying biometrics of the potential account holders from their homes.
Biometric verification assumes a key role in the banking and financial sector and introduction of contactless biometric verification would facilitate both the institutions concerned and their customers.
This is particularly important in view of the situation arising out of Covid-19 that demands least physical contacts between citizens.
The new technology makes contactless fingerprint acquisition and matching possible using a smart mobile phone, providing an alternative to conventional methods of conducting digital financial transactions that may require specialized equipment or visits to bank branches/franchises.
It will now be possible for customers to open bank accounts and conduct biometric-based financial transactions using their mobile phones from the ease of their homes.
The features of the new service are not yet fully known but it can be made more relevant if it also provides relief to widows, illiterate customers and pensioners, who are required to visit bank branches frequently for finger-printing in connection with financial transactions and continued operation of their accounts.
