Iraq on Monday said it is planning to launch a single plastic identity card system to replace four different types of paper documents currently used by its 30 million citizens.

The government intends the scheme, expected to cost 300 million dollars, to be operational in about two years time, Brigadier General Mahmoud Abdul al-Ghafour, the project's director, told reporters in Baghdad.

"The main reason for this project is to create a large database of all Iraqis," he said.

"This will help to reduce all the paper documents, relating to birth dates, address, health and all personal information."

He did not, however, say if an individual's data would be electronically implanted on the new plastic card, as is the case with some identity cards and passports in other countries.

Interior Ministry Deputy Minister Adnan al-Assadi said the new system would be used by men, women and children nationwide and that the data will be written on the card in both Arabic and Kurdish languages.

"We have started the first steps to putting the data of about 30 million Iraqis on to a single card," he said.

"All Iraqis, even those in Iraqi Kurdistan will have this card and their details will be written down in both languages."

AFP

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