New Public Employees Pensions System to “Go Live” this Year

The ‘Go-Live’ project, which is the new Public Employees Pensions Administration System (PEPAS), will be implemented this year.

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, made the disclosure while delivering the Throne Speech in Gordon House on February 9 under the theme: ‘A Firm Foundation for Prosperity’.

The system will enable the Government to better prepare forecasts budgets and control the use of public funds; allow for timely processing of applications for pension benefits; and modernise the pension system.

The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service’s drive to increase efficiency through the use of technology.

Turning to other matters, the Governor-General said the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) will continue to drive economic growth through trade facilitation, revenue collection and border protection.

He said the agency will deploy modern scanning equipment at the Port of Kingston to better allow for the detection of contraband and attempts at smuggling high valued cargo.

In addition, he said integration of the Port Community System (PCS) with the ASYCUDA World System will be undertaken this year to allow for increased co-ordination among the JCA, Port Authority, and the Shipping Association of Jamaica.

The PCS acts as a single window for the management of all trade, logistics and business processes at the ports, while ASYCUDA is a web-based system designed to transfer Customs to a paperless operation.

Meanwhile, the Governor-General said expansion of the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system will continue.

The e-GP system is a web-based portal to Government purchasing and tendering authorities and suppliers, which automates activities performed by all parties through integration on a single electronic network.