Shenzhen, the coastal city in China’s southern Guangdong province, is taking a further stride to digitize its governmental services as it launches a blockchain-based platform for e-certificates, Chinese state media Xinhua reported.
The platform, accessible through a public services app developed by the municipality, will provide the digital format of 24 types of commonly used government certificates and identification including personal IDs. The app will enable immediate and online access of documents, saving the city’s citizens from the hassle of carrying around a paper document when dealing with the local government in situations where a personal ID or a non-criminal record is required.
The service will also make it possible for a third-party to obtain and use the electronic copies under the authorization of the owner of the documents. The authorization can be fulfilled via scanning a QR code between the two parties.
This is not the first time that blockchain has been applied to public services in China.
China’s Zhejiang province has launched a blockchain-based platform in June to streamline its healthcare system. People can access their invoices online after paying for their medicines or other healthcare services, which can be used for reimbursements.
KrASIA reported in March that Shenzhen’s metro, taxis, and airport trains were integrated with an electronic invoicing blockchain system, built by Tencent, that is available within the WeChat app. Passengers who use WeChat to pay for rides and file invoices can see their reimbursement claims processed via blockchain. Users can also check the progress of their reimbursements and receive the funds online through WeChat.