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Government on the Mark for ICT Upgrade

Posted on by OPM Communications
Government on the Mark for ICT Upgrade
The Government of Jamaica is upgrading its Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure systems across the public sector.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday (Tuesday, November 26), Prime Minister Holness said the Government is committed to strengthening the public sector systems to enable better service delivery to the people of Jamaica.

“Our people deserve the best and this administration that I lead is committed to ensuring that the systems, processes and technology are in place to give the people of Jamaica the best possible service. For far too long, and particularly in this post-independence Jamaica, our people have expressed their frustration when trying to conduct business at several public sector entities,” said Prime Minister Holness.

In that regard, the Prime Minister said the Government is focused on the ICT aspect of the National Identification System (NIDS). He said the Government has been in dialogue with various stakeholders and will continue to act in the best interest of the people.

The Government decided to focus on the initial ICT upgrade to address critical needs at the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) and The Registrar General Department (RGD). In that regard, Prime Minister Holness noted that the scope of work for the ICT infrastructure upgrade will include;

  1. Public Key Infrastructure Software, hardware, training and testing
  2. A web-portal
  3. The development of a Civil Registry Database Optimization and e-Wallet. The e-wallet or payment gateway will facilitate the online payment for integrated digital services.
“The Government is serious about harnessing the benefits of technology to transform our society and economy. The wave of information and communication technologies has already arrived, and it is high time that Jamaica gets up to speed,” stated Prime Minister Holness.

The Prime Minister said the ICT infrastructure upgrade that has been approved will allow Jamaicans to benefit from more digital services from the Government thereby creating a more efficient, transparent and cost-effective delivery of public goods and services.