Canada’s trusted digital ID leader, the DIACC, welcomes Budget 2023; applauds the government for investments in digital transformation and Canada’s shift to a digital economy
TORONTO, MARCH 29, 2023 — Joni Brennan, President of the Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) released a statement following the tabling of the federal budget yesterday:
The DIACC welcomes the federal government’s investments for digital transformation and Canadian innovation to enable a thriving digital economy announced in yesterday’s budget.
Canada has an opportunity to be a global leader in digital ID, and unlock opportunities for Canadians, decrease costs for governments, consumers, and business, improve service delivery, and drive GDP growth.
A digital identity is a highly personal yet critical component to both serve and protect Canadians. From increasing data protection and privacy in the public sector to strengthening national security, public safety and child protection through effective authentication and authorization, digital ID is an important part of our transition to a digital world and a digital economy. Further, we know that an effective, safe and secure digital ID ecosystem will save manual operation costs and reduce fraud, saving an estimated $482 million for provincial and federal governments, and $4.5 billion for private sector organizations.
This budget announcement reinforces the government’s commitment to Canada’s digital transformation as it looks for ways to be a full participant in the global digital economy and shift to a digital-first mindset. The government has made some encouraging progress in adopting digital technology solutions to better deliver programs and services, and Canadians are benefiting from that progress.
We were pleased to see the following commitments included in the budget:
- A commitment to introduce legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) to strengthen the investigative, enforcement, and information sharing tools of Canada’s AML/ATF Regime.
- A commitment to improving Airport Operations and Passenger Screening, including $1.8 billion over five years to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to maintain and increase its level of service, improve screening wait times, and strengthen security measures at airports.
- Commitments to improve service delivery for Canadians including $156.7 million over five years to reduce backlogs in Veterans Affairs Canada; $123.9 million over seven years for Old Age Security IT modernization; and a commitment to amend the Citizenship Act to enable the electronic administration of the citizenship program, automated and machine-assisted processing, and the collection and use of biometric information.
The budget provides an opportunity to further advance digital ID in Canada, and the DIACC remains committed to partnering with both government and industry to continue building a trusted digital ID ecosystem and educating Canadians to combat dis and misinformation regarding digital ID.
About Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)
The Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) is a non-profit coalition of public and private sector organizations committed to developing research and tools to enable secure, robust, and scalable Canadian digital ID solutions and services. With privacy, security, and choice at the forefront of all DIACC initiatives, we aim to enable all Canadians to participate safely and confidently in the global digital economy.
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