The Estonian Finance Ministry said this week it wouldn't be able to supply the extra 70 million kroons needed to complete the Interior Ministry's new identification card project

The Estonian Finance Ministry said this week it wouldn't be able to supply the extra 70 million kroons ($4.12 million) needed to complete the Interior Ministry's new identification card project, meaning people would have to pay for the documents themselves. The ID card, a plastic card similar to a driving license, would be an alternative means of identification within Estonia. The card would contain computer encrypted information about the holder. Interior Ministry officials said they need 66.8 million kroons to complete the project. The cards project is the result of legislation passed by Parliament and that getting the cards issued by next year is crucial as many passports expire then. Interior Ministry officials believe that Estonian residents won't yet be willing to pay for the cards themselves. According to Merike Juriloo, a spokeswoman at the Citizenship and Migration Board, about 120,000 passports will expire next year. Present fees for replacing Estonian passports are 100 kroons and 300 kroons, depending upon the reason.