These exciting initiatives, which have already begun to take shape, are being spearheaded by the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology (MCST), under the dynamic leadership of Hon. Phillip Paulwell.

Minister Paulwell responds questions about what changes are anticipated, how they will take place, and what they mean to Jamaicans of every walk of life.

A Knowledge Based Society
Towards Efficiency and Global Competitiveness

Q: Minister Paulwell, as Minister in charge of the e-government project, what is your vision, for how technology will transform Jamaica?

A: The vision is as it was when the Ministry was established seven years ago. We believe that in a global economy where Jamaicans who are producing goods and services now have to compete with the world’s best producers, we have to ensure that we are as good, or better than all the others, if we are going to prosper. We must use technology to enhance our capabilities to become more efficient producers, to become more competitive.

This competitiveness must impact direct economic activities, Government services and the social programmes in education, health care. If we are going to be a world leader economically, we must to ensure that the entire society is efficient, and is geared towards attaining that status.

Q: How ready is Jamaica for this new world?

A: Jamaica is in a unique position, because we are able to observe the experiences of other countries. Importantly, technology is advancing so quickly, to our advantage, that we can, in fact, “leap frog” other technologies and other countries. We are now positioned to become the leading country in this part of the world, in ICTs.

Q: How can we benefit from ICT’s?

A: We believe that the Information and Communication Technology industry will provide jobs and ensure growth in our economy. However, achieving this growth will only be on the basis of competitiveness in all areas of industry, manufacturing, or in agriculture. Then, the use of ICTs will enhance efficiency. Q: How will ICT’s impact the lives of Jamaicans?

On the social side, it will enable tremendous advances in health care, through telemedicine, in education, it will completely transform how computer-related subjects and all other subjects are taught in schools using the medium of ICTs for the delivery.

Q: Since ICT by itself does not necessarily make a people more efficient, will this require some behaviour change?

A: Yes, I think it will require quite a lot of change…in attitudes and behaviour. In fact, some of the behaviour will be driven by the reality of the technology. People are now… amazingly…using their cell phones as computers. This ready access to communications allows them to be better able to do business transactions. Further, since we enjoy the natural advantage of a service-oriented society, we can build on the tremendous amount of training in service delivery to offer higher levels of service, in our interface with the public. To provide good quality service, it will be necessary to bring about a total transformation in the way that we, especially Government, approach our customers. That is probably the most important behavioural change that we will see.

Q: There is a ready acceptance of the technologies among our younger population, while the older generation prefers human contact. How will you deal with resistance, in bringing these new technologies to older people?

A: Young people are already on board, and they tend to bring older ones along. There has been a revolution in wireless mobile technology. Some persons who were regarded as being afraid of computers are now using their phones to input and retrieve names and telephone numbers. Those are computer functions. I believe that once people see the advantages, and grasp the ease of using the technology, we will have won a major part of the battle. The greater convenience of utilising technology that will win people.

Infrastructure for Development

Q: How will the de-regulation of the telecommunications sector and the introduction of online services drive e-governance?

A: Up to the year 2000, there was a monopoly provider in the Telecommunications sector, which was although, trying to propagate the technology, could not, because of the nature of the organization and the nature of the sector. In getting Cable and Wireless to relinquish its monopoly licenses, which would have extended up to the year 2038, were able to take advantage of emerging opportunities. This allowed us to start opening up the telecom sector in a number of phases, beginning with the mobile segment of the market. Since then, there have been tremendous investments – over US$600 million and widespread acceptance of the technologies, and exceptional growth in cellular services across Jamaica. The number of cellular phones now in the country is 1.6 million. Add that to the fixed lines, of about 500,000, there are over 2 million phones, which out of a population of 2.6 million, is an enormous growth in our teledensity.

Q: What were some of the specific objectives for the Telecommunications sector following liberalization?

A: A major focus at the time of liberalization was to ensure that we achieve universal access to voice. We have done that. The new focus is to see how we can enable our people to really be a part of this information age, and for Jamaica to have the infrastructure to provide information, in a way that will be very efficient, and very reasonably priced.

Q: How will Jamaica cope with the increasing demand for access to information?

A: Greater access will come with Broadband Technologies, which will offer a variety of services, including voice, data and video and faster access to the Internet, where a range of e-commerce activities will be made possible.

Q: How will we build an E-Government Programme?

A: Greater bandwidth, through broadband technologies and fibre optics will ensure that services online, can be effectively and efficiently delivered, from the Government to the people.

Easy Access to Government

Q: Explain how ICT’s and E-Government will improve services.

A: Government through the E-Government Programme will deliver services at a higher level of efficiency. A leaner government, offering more user-friendly technologies, processes and services will be more transparent and more easily accessible to the people, ensuring above all, a high level of competitiveness. Starting with some of the basic services, over time, the entire government will be online, eliminating paper and the need to stand in lines to access services. The on-line government will allow citizens to transact business with your Government from your home, from your school, from your library, your post office, from your offices.

Q: How is Jamaica’s E-Government Programme being structured?

A: Well, we have a number of layers. Firstly, we have to have a government that could interface with itself, then to pull the government together, and to establish an organization that will have direct influence over what government does, over its procurement policies, and to ensure that there is consistency in the purchasing of hardware and software. The Central Information Technology Office (CITO) was established under this MCST to achieve this.

Secondly a major project, funded by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), and established in this Ministry, will use software to develop a portal that will enable the government to interface with the rest of the society. At this stage our revenue generating agencies such as Customs, Income Tax, GCT, and National Housing Trust, will be enabled to offer online services. We have already achieved this.

Q: What government services are being put online in Jamaica at this stage?

A: A number of them…With Customs, for example, we are now able to operate a pre-clearance facility, using e-mail data to start the process of clearing goods from the wharves. Importers of goods are now able to do clear goods without having to visit the Customs. Customs duties can be paid online and goods removed from the wharves. Expeditiously. Other agencies… the Trade Board now processes import applications online. JAMPRO’s Trade Point facility is enabling investors and traders to access information and to process, and even do some e-commerce transactions, online.

The areas that are going to follow immediately are the revenue generating agencies, the Inland Revenue Department, GCT Department, National Housing Trust, and HEART Fund. The National Insurance Scheme will also be an Agency online. And, we will be bringing online very shortly, the Traffic Ticket, as well as the Property Tax payments.

At the Registrar of Companies, by January of next year, they will be doing everything online, including the processing of incorporated documents.

Q: How have these facilities, already being brought on stream, impacted on service delivery?

A: In the case of the Registrar of Companies, as an example, constant surveys of the public perception of the operations there are being done, and the results of the survey have been tremendously positive. Over 90% of the public now view the Registrar of Companies in a positive way. Lawyers and members of the public, now, from their desks, access the data base of the Registrar of Companies, complete their searches of companies, and shareholders listing, without having to go to the office. By early next year, they will deliver all their services online, we believe that will represent the ideal agency of the State, and the one which others ought to follow.