Public Security Police (PSP) Immigration Department Chief Wong Kim Hong said yesterday that a QR code generated in the Macao One Account mobile application for crossing Macau’s border checkpoints has been used more than 110,000 times since July 1, adding that residents commented that using the code was one to two seconds faster than reading physical documents.
Wong made the remarks while speaking to reporters after attending a current affairs phone-in programme hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi, the Chinese-language radio channel of public broadcaster TDM, as some residents said that it was complicated for users to open the code in the Macao One Account mobile app, and asked the government to combine the e-ID certificate and the QR code for crossing the city’s border checkpoints to make it more convenient for its users.
Wong underlined that the e-ID certificate is different to the code that is used for crossing Macau’s border checkpoints, and reminded the residents to ensure that they use the right one.
Identification Services Bureau (DSI) Deputy Director Chao Wai Ieng said that the QR code used for crossing border checkpoints is designed to be used on a daily basis and could be affected by internet connections, which are encrypted to improve security and the speed of reading, and that’s why the codes can only be used at border checkpoints, unlike other public sector technologies that use e-ID codes to transmit information.
Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) Deputy Director Ng Wai Han told reporters yesterday that the new e-ID certificate function will also be available for renewing ID cards, adding that the change of address function was expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of this year. The launch date will be be officially announced in due course, Ng said.
On the other hand, Ng said, those who are visually impaired or who are unable to use face recognition can visit the Public Administration Building on Rua de Campo and arrange for an alternative way to activate their e-ID certificate.
Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) Deputy Director Ng Wai Han (left), Identification Services Bureau (DSI) Deputy Director Chao Wai Ieng (centre), and Public Security Police (PSP) Immigration Department chief Wong Kim Hong pose before attending a current affairs phone-in programme hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi, the Chinese-language radio channel of public broadcaster TDM yesterday. – Photo courtesy of TDM
