IfG.CC - The Institute for eGovernment

Caribbean initial coin offering (ICO) hotspot, the Cayman Islands, last week outlined a timeline for a proposed digital ID system for its population; it aims to have the technology in place within a year. Premier Alden McLaughlin presented details of the initiative in a speech at the Cayman Islands Digital Economy Conference – CYDEC, while outlining the latest developments in his administration’s drive towards e-Government services.

The solution to the growing problem of Caymanians needing to prove their status is most likely to be found through the use of blockchain technology, Premier Alden McLaughlin told an industry conference in Cayman Thursday. Speaking at the Cayman Islands Digital Economy Conference (CYDEC), held at the Kimpton Seafire, McLaughlin said the ability to identify who is Caymanian has become ever more important to gain access to voting and employment opportunities.

“It has become increasingly hard to prove you are Caymanian if you were born here to Caymanian parents and this needs to be done over and over when you are changing jobs,” he said. “The use of a digital ID system is the best solution and would also serve as a voter ID, driving licence and to gain access to all government services.”

Local telecommunication providers are soon going to be held to account for the internet service they provide, as government has said it is preparing changes to the Information & Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) legislation to make them give customers what they pay for or suffer the consequences. In a debate on a private member’s motion calling on government to act, many MLAs as well as the minister responsible derided the providers for the inadequate service and speeds and suggested it was hindering the country’s development.

Ezzard Miller’s motion asking government to address the common complaints that customers are paying for internet speeds that they almost never get was accepted by the government front bench and saw several members of the parliament vent their own and their constituents’ frustrations over the issue, which the ICTA says at present it does not have the legislative teeth to address.

There should be no doubt that civil servants can handle the change-over to E-government. They have already demonstrated their expertise with the well-run Land and Companies Registries, Customs and Immigration departments which have become models for other countries in the region, even using our own officials—along with our models—to bring about some good order in other territories.

Indeed, Jamaica, historically one of the more economically-, politically- and socially-challenged countries in the region, has for some time now been working on an e-government programme that has drawn praise from around the world. In fact, Jamaica has offered to assist its CARICOM counterparts in their development of e-readiness and e-governance programmes, having been ranked as the leading English-speaking Caribbean country in e-readiness by a survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the Economist Magazine.

Last week a seminar brought together representatives from public agencies such as Computer Services, the Department of Education Services and the Information Commissioner’s Office, along with some private sector representatives to discuss the plan. The E-Government Advisory Board is chaired by George Town MLA Ellio Solomon.

The move would help cut expenditure, boost efficiency, improve customer service and foster interactions between government departments and members of the community conducting business with Government, he added.

“The ‘E’ is no longer simply for ‘electronic’, but is equally about our pursuit for perfection, seeking to ‘evolve’ the way we do business,” said Mr Solomon.

Chaired by George Town MLA, Ellio Solomon Cabinet Secretary Orrett Connor; and Chief Officer in the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs Franz Manderson will also serve on the new “E-Government Board” which has been appointed by Cabinet.

A complaint commonly voiced to us by those that have to deal with the paperwork involved in submitting applications for work permits in particular is the lamentable absence of downloadable forms, interactive functionality along with answers to frequently asked questions on the various government websites.

In the coming months, government will introduce a raft of policy changes aimed at facilitating the development of the small-business sector, Commerce Minister Joey Hew promised at the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting on Wednesday.

Government will streamline the process for obtaining and renewing business licenses in two phases, Mr. Hew said.

The first Cayman Islands Digital Economy Conference welcomed over a hundred delegates to the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa on June 21 2018.

Following a welcome address by Premier Alden McLaughlin, CyDEC 2018 saw an impressive roster of international and local speakers who covered a range of topics on the rapidly developing world of technology and the direct impact on Cayman’s economy.

Cayman’s e-Government director has said that new eID cards will form an essential part of his body’s services.

During an e-Governance Academy conference this week, Ian Tibbetts said he thinks a national ID should be part of the eventual e-government system, giving people access to government and private sector services.

He was speaking during a visit by the Estonian foundation, which has worked with small countries to help boost online government services to make things easier and more accessible for civil servants and the public.

Authorities in Jamaica are considering linking the national identification number (NIN) to the taxpayer’s registration number (TRN) once pending digital ID legislation has been okayed, according to the Jamaica Observer. The National Identification and Registration Act (NIRA) is awaiting parliamentary approval.

Warren Vernon, project director for the National Identification System (NIDS) was quoted as saying such a move would be for the good of the general population as the TRN is more widely used by citizens than even passports.

Oftentimes — usually around the second hour of waiting in line to conduct a transaction that will take approximately 10 minutes — we find our minds casting about for solutions that will lead the Cayman Islands government out of the proverbial Stone Age.

This week at The Westin resort, scores of civil servants are being given a taste of a more efficient, more customer-friendly, future … We’ll call it the “Estonia Age.”

For more information about the presentation from the Estonian e-Governance Academy, read our stories published in the Compass today and Thursday.

Members have been named to a committee formed to shepherd through any Cabinet-approved changes from a recent consultant report that sought to advise legislators on the privatization, outsourcing and consolidation of public sector services.

Cabinet members have not said what proposals from the Ernst & Young report will be accepted; Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has said only Cabinet-approved recommendations will be put in place.

A national identification card could be a key part of a new e-government initiative, according to Cayman’s e-Government director, Ian Tibbetts.

In an interview during an e-Governance Academy conference this week, Mr. Tibbetts said he thinks a national ID should be part of the eventual e-government system, giving people access to government and private sector services.

A nonprofit group from Estonia, often cited as having the most technologically advanced government in the world, is in Cayman this week to host the conference with government and the private sector, aimed at helping to move more services online.

The Cayman Islands government launched a new online service Monday with the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing being the first department to offer customers the chance to skip the queues and renew their licences and registration from their desks.

The Department of Commerce and Investment (DCI) has launched an online system for the owners of and those doing business in real estate and jewellery to help them comply with regulations relating to their sales. What are now known as designated non-financial business and professions or DNFBPs for short are the latest risky areas for financial crime and the DCI is tasked with regulating them.

Although real estate alongside precious metals and gems have long been the target of money launderers and others wanting to hide the source of wealth it has taken a while for the international community to shift its intense focus from offshore banking and financial services to these vulnerable sectors in the world of financial crime.