Smart tech ministry’s $18.9 million shopping list

The Ministry of Innovation and Smart Technology needs 18.9 million dollars in order to continue “transforming” the country into a digital hub, Minister of Innovation Senator Kay McConney told lawmakers today.

Speaking as Parliament considered Appropriations for the next financial year, she said that not only had the ministry completed a number of tasks at various Government offices but it had also rehired 29 of the workers who were retrenched last year.

Senator McConney told the Lower House: “ Our ministry’s focus for 2020-2021 will be making it easier to do business with Government.

“We say we are on mission EASE… making it easy, affordable, safe and efficient for people to access Government services online.”

The Senator said there were also a number of new projects planned.

“Using these funds there are a number of new projects that our ministry will be implementing… most in collaboration with other agencies of Government as well as the private sector,” she said.

“Among the initiatives which would have started in 2019 would include public sector modernisation; quality of service in telecommunications; cyber security and Government payments system.”

Senator McConney reported that along with rehiring 29 of the workers who were retrenched, Government had trained 200 people on Level 1 digitisation.  She then outlined where some of the funds will be going.

She said: “Public sector modernisation will take $7.9 million dollars. That is about 40 per cent of our Estimates.

“Modernisation is about modernising processes, records, skills, environment, systems and the mindset of people to be able to operate in a 21st century environment.”

The Senator gave account as to how the money was spent last year and then said that the Barbados Licensing Authority, which will be “a significant undertaking”, was next in line to be tackled by her ministry.

Senator McConney told the House: “Government has millions and millions of records we cannot digitise all at once but it is necessary if we are to become efficient. In collaboration with the Royal Barbados Police Force we have digitised over 66,000 records that will help feed the back end of the Police Certificate of Character.

“In 2019, 23,624 persons applied for Certificates of Character and by us being able to move this process we will be impacting over 23,000 Barbadians.”

The Minister continued: “In addition to that we have started with the Immigration digitising 211,000 of their records.

“We are about three per cent through it and we expect that that process will be coming closer to and end just after the middle of this year.

“The Registration Department we have been working with them on the digitisation of 93,000-plus records in an attempt to make it easier for Barbadians to get birth certificates, and death certificates and marriage certificates.

“That process will be done later this year.”

Senator McConney said her ministry would continue working with the Lands and Surveys Department in order to ensure Barbadians get their land matters resolved more easily.

The Minister for Smart Technology said: “We will continue our efforts with the Lands and Survey Department being priority; over 123,000 records we will be digitising with them.

“We anticipate that by the end of the year we will be completed if not well underway.

“What that will do is allow each plot of land in Barbados to be identified and tagged and what that enables is for persons to get their titles easier.

“It will allow evaluation for land tax to be done more fairly.”