18.05.2006 - LaserCard Corporation (NASDAQ:LCRD) today reported that the final Italian governmental decree required to authorize full implementation of the national citizen ID card program was published in Italy's parliamentary record yesterday.
The May 17, 2006 edition of the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, Italy's parliamentary record, confirms the official fee and revenue structures for the national citizen ID program. The decree, dated May 9, 2006 and signed by the Ministers of Interior and Finance, is published on page 42 of the Gazzetta and has the force of law. This action finalizes the governmental requirements for commercial issuance of citizen ID cards, although no assurance can be given as to when issuance will officially begin. The Citizen ID card, known as "Carta d'Identità Elettronica" or "CIE," is defined under a series of laws culminating with Law # 43, passed in April last year, which provided for the replacement over time of the existing paper ID document.
An April, 2006, decree sanctioned the formal introduction of a similar government card for foreign residents of Italy, known as the "Permesso di Soggiorno Elettronico," or "PSE." Both the CIE and PSE feature optical memory for ID security and an IC chip for the provision of e-government services.
Richard Haddock, CEO of LaserCard Corporation, whose optical memory card is the platform for the CIE and PSE programs, said today that the Company is very encouraged by this development. "We are pleased to see that the Italian government continues to move ahead with the CIE and PSE programs. When in full implementation, we anticipate that CIE and PSE cards with five and one-year renewal cycles, respectively, will be issued at the historical issuance rate of the paper documents that they are intended to replace, which is approximately 11 million cards per year. We are pleased to be a part of this historic program." |
