IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

On Wednesday, April 15, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published the 2015 edition of the Global Information Technology Report (GITR), which features the latest iteration of the Networked Readiness Index. This assesses the factors, policies and institutions that enable a country to fully leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) for increased competitiveness and well-being.

The report highlighted the importance and impact of ICT as a vector of social development and transformation by improving access to basic services, enhancing connectivity and creating employment. The report presented a generally positive view of the growth of Jamaica's technology infrastructure and was critical about its use of technology for social and economic development. The results of the report suggest that mostly rich countries have benefited from the ICT revolution and, paradoxically but unsurprisingly, it has created new digital divides.

The new card will reportedly store a photograph of the cardholder as well as fingerprint information. Reported in theJamaica Information Service, National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting said he is looking forward to gains in law enforcement and security as a result of the implementation of this card, and has also tasked the FLA to develop a smartphone app which ties into this database to verify identity.

Jamaica will have a reliable identification system that will make it easier and cheaper for citizens and legal residents to prove their identity for a variety of transactions, from opening bank accounts to getting social services from government agencies.

By reducing transactional costs on identity verification, the National Identification System (NIDS) will help cut bureaucracy and improve the delivery of government services. Among other benefits, it will make it easier to access birth certificates, especially for mothers and persons with special needs.

Since the implementation of the Revenue Administration Information System (RAiS) on February 9, 2015, Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) says 2,000 consumption tax returns being filed through its new web service since its implementation on February 9.

And it says this represents 27 per cent of returns filed on time for the January period.

Phase one of Revenue Administration Information System (RAiS) was successfully rolled out by TAJ to expand its e-services.

He said a single ID number would eliminate the current system, which saddles the individual with multiple identification cards, all of which have different ID numbers.

E-payment at Jamaica Customs has improved the collection of custom fees and other duties, with an intake of more than JA$1 billion recorded up to December 3, 2004. This volume was almost three times the $366.4 million received for the previous fiscal period.

The growth in e-commerce and the present COVID-19 pandemic have presented opportunities for the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) to “leap forward” with its digital transformation programme, as the customs and border regulatory agency is now rolling out a number of initiatives to make trade easier.

At the heart of this digital transformation, CEO of JCA Velma Ricketts Walker pointed out, is a need to improve the customer experience, change customer behaviour including a “line culture” and improve trust in the clearing system.

Trinidad and Tobago appointed a new minister of digital transformation two weeks ago for greater focus and expertise. Previously, the Ministry of Public Administration and Digital Transformation merited the separation, as technology transformation for a country cannot be treated as an add-on.

It's a worthwhile consideration for Jamaica to revisit the leadership structure for our digital society initiatives. Much is still left to be done in our transformation. Our leadership's focus and energy may be spread too broadly to move things along with the required velocity.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has commissioned a study to review the data protection legislation of select Caribbean countries to assess the extent to which these laws are aligned with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as international best practice in the area of data sharing.

It made the announcement today, saying that the benefits of implementing internationally aligned data protection and sharing legislation were discussed during a virtual expert group meeting (EGM) it convened on July 152020.

With the help of Estonia, the tiny island nation of Jamaica is looking to establish its region’s first e-government system.

The Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness, said in a statement that his administration was committed to establishing the first fully digitised government system in the region.

The Government of Jamaica will this week sign an agreement for thirty-five Million ($35,000,000.00) United States Dollars from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and is also expected to benefit from a grant of Two Million Six Hundred and Forty thousand ($2,640,000.00) United States Dollars from the Department for International Development (DFID), the IBRD/DFID financial support will go towards the cost of the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project.

The funds are expected to strengthen public resource management and provide support to selected public sector institutions geared towards facilitating a more enabling business environment for private sector growth.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Friday said it is assisting Jamaica establish a liable identification system that will make it easier and cheaper for citizens and legal residents to prove their identity for a variety of transactions, from opening bank accounts to getting social services from government agencies.

The IDB said that by reducing transactional costs on identity verification, the National Identification System (NIDS) will help cut bureaucracy and improve the delivery of government services. Among other benefits, it will make it easier to access birth certificates, especially for mothers and persons with special needs.

The e-Governance Academy for the Caribean, a subsidiary of Estonian non-profit foundation e-Governance Academy, has established a subsidiary in Jamaica that will support digital development in the Caribbean.

The e-Governance Academy already shares Estonia's digital governance experience with the Jamaican Government and some organisations in Cuba, and advises the Dominica Government on creating an e-governance strategy.

The support comes through two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed on Wednesday (January 21) at the PCJ auditorium in Kingston.

The funds will also enable JLS to provide additional training for staff and users, enhance programmes and services and support a comprehensive advocacy and marketing campaign.

This comes as a critical stage in the government’s E-governance push, which has an overall goal to streamline inter-governmental as well as government-to-public information flow and management processes.

The world has entered the Fourth Industrial Revolution exemplified by the fusion of the digital, biological, and physical worlds, as well as the accelerated utilisation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, and advanced wireless technologies, among other things. If appropriately harnessed, these digital technologies hold immeasurable potential to leapfrog the socio-economic development of countries across the world. In particular, these technologies can fundamentally transform the interactions and value-added exchanges among the key stakeholders of development — governments, businesses and citizens.