For almost a decade, the last Government was trying to roll out E-government platforms for all major government services. That pace was glacial and the accomplishments few, but it did result in some progress seen in online portals such as the Belize Motor Vehicle Registration and License System.
Everyone agreed that the boosts to efficiency, customer service, and ease of access for important government services were all necessary improvements, but then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. That's when online portals went from a premium option to almost a necessity with all the social distancing rules.
The Briceno Administration has committed to scaling up all E-government access. How big do they want to go? Well, they presented what the finished product will look like at the launch of their National Digital Agenda. Our News Team attended that ceremony, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:
Today, the Briceno Administration took what they insist is a major step forward in the push to a fully-functional, electronic governance structure. It's called the National Digital Agenda 2022-2025. GOB's sales pitch is that this carefully crafted plan will move the nation, quote, "Toward A Digital Belize: Building Trust In Government Services". End quote.
In the same way that citizens can use the internet to shop for goods through electronic portals like Amazon or E-Bay, the Government wants to offer similar options for all important government services. The plan is that at the end of this Digital Agenda's implementation, waiting in long lines at government departments will be a thing of the past:
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Digital technologies will allow us to improve traditional, inefficient systems to facilitate service delivery, and create new opportunities. The government's transformation will form the bedrock for a change at all levels. Imagine then, what more we could achieve if we truly unlocked the potential of ICT."
Hon. Kevin Bernard - Minister Responsible For E-Governance
"Government will embrace digitalization as the engine which will empower the provision of all its services and the access to all services offered by government. Digital government on a global scale is design to strengthen public governance and to make government's more accountable, efficient and effective. This is what this administration promises our people, accountability in an era where accountability in government had become non-existent."
Alexia Peralta - Director, E-Governance & Digitalization Unit
"It is our unified vision to build trust in government's services by providing reliable inclusive safe and efficient digital solutions for citizens, businesses and employees. This plan of action will enable the government to enter a period of rapid and disruptive transformation to improve service
delivery, strengthen governance and create public value. The digital agenda aims to achieve 3 high level strategic goals: 1) transforming the way government operates, 2) developing a digital culture and society and 3) building the foundation for future digital transformation. How will we achieve this? The digital agenda is built on 3 main pillars: 1) ICT and technology enablers, 2) digital government and 3) digitalization for recovery. These pillars have a set of progress for the next 4 years which will contribute to achieve the 3 high level strategic goals."
Hon. John Briceno
"Indeed, it is about addressing corruption, inequality, the digital divide, cybersecurity, economic challenges, and yes, it's about addressing global pandemics. For sure, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught that harnessing the power of technology is not a thing of the future, but of the present."
Programs like the Belize Motor Vehicle Registration and License System, which was launched By the Ministry of Transport in 2019, and the Integrated Revenue Information System (IRIS), which was launched several months ago by the Belize Tax Service Department are some of the earliest iterations of E-governance. Prime Minister Briceno says that National Digital Agenda will improve upon, and increase the size and scale of these early digitization steps.
Hon. John Briceno
"We will see in 2022 the rollout of a national ID and many would say what's so exciting about a national ID? When come to think about it, how long does it take to open a bank account, it takes weeks sometimes, it takes you months to open a bank account and whenever I talk to the managers of these institutions, I tell them why does it have to take so long and they all say in one word if we can have a national ID, within days we can open a bank account. Just imagine with a national ID, a lot of people do not have access to credit can use a national ID to access to credit. We have tens of thousands that do not have access to credit, but with a digital ID it would make it so much easier for them."
"The modernization of the Vital statistics - imagine you have to go on a line to apply for a birth certificate. Whenever you pass on Queen Street you see people lining up there, people coming from the Toledo District have to be there in the line from before 6am and some instances 3pm when they are closed they still haven't gotten any service. Imagine from Santa Elena, Corozal to Jalacte in the Toledo District you can go online and order and apply for your birth certificate or death certificate or for a diaspora in the United States or anywhere the world you can go online and access your information."
"The new passport system, we have an archaic passport system that's crashing, that's not working. Despite the challenges that we have we have found approximately 20 million dollars to invest in a new system. Even our diaspora would be able to apply for their passports digitally and we hope that by the middle of 2022 we will be able to launch this product."
And the Minister of Public Service is urging the E-Governance and Digitalization Unit to make all these online portals so user-friendly that Belizeans will have the easiest time adapting.
Hon. Henry Charles Usher - Minister of Public Service
"Today, Digital Government has become critical to meet the expectations of the modern Belizean citizen by offering end to end digital transactions via online customer portals and mobile apps. GOB can increase customer satisfaction, compliance and very important, Prime Minister, Revenue."
"I once again congratulate the e-governance and digitalization unit and wish them every success. My one request is that you make the technology not only user friendly, but dad friendly as well."
