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ATAM, Riau Islands: The government plans to distribute electronic identity cards to everyone by 2012, a minister says.

“Electronic ID cards will improve public services,” Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi said on Sunday.

Gamawan said electronic ID cards would provide accuracy in voter counts for general and regional elections. State security would also benefit as the use of two IDs could be minimized as terrorists and other criminals usually hold multiple identity cards.

The budget for the electronic ID cards was Rp 6 trillion for 2011 and 2012, Gamawan said.

The government has been completing the data required for the national identity number, known as the NIK, and preparing the computer hardware to support the electronic ID system. With the electronic system, every citizen is identified by his or her unique fingerprint, which will make forgery more difficult. — JP