The World Bank mission met with the Department of National Registration (DNR) on 22nd October 2025 to review progress on the D’MADD Project. Participants included Mr. Jerome Bezzina and Ms. Anna Zita Metz (World Bank Co-Task Team Leaders); Ahmed Aly (Deputy Minister), Ismail Irfan (Senior Political Director), Mohamed Umair (Director - ICT), Ahmed Hishaan (Computer Programmer), and Mohamed Mujuthaba (Consultant) from DNR; and Dr. Ibrahim Waheed (Project Manager), Mr. Ahmed Haleem (Communications Specialist), and Ms. Fathmath Shafa Hussain (Project Officer) from the D’MADD PMU.

The meeting focused on strengthening identity management systems and aligning with national digital governance priorities. The World Bank team highlighted the importance of submitting the Privacy and Data Protection bill to parliament, as this remains a key condition for project funding. DNR representatives presented findings from a recent system requirements study, emphasizing the need for secure infrastructure and an interoperable Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) ID system. The discussion also addressed the fragmented nature of civil registration across agencies and the need for integration without duplicating data.

The group considered shifting project priorities from smart card issuance to broader system strengthening, supporting new CRVSID legislation, and enhancing data entry processes. Final decisions will be made following the World Bank mission’s review.