Gov’t Positioning Jamaica to Manage Technology for Public Good – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is looking to position Jamaica to control and manage technology for the public good.

“It is not going to suit Jamaica to try to hide away from the wave of technological improvements because, no matter what, we have to interface with other countries, other societies and other jurisdictions.

“So, we need to be in a position to be able to develop our own technology and to use the technology that exists for our own economic benefit and to strengthen our society. It is not to just allow technology to happen to us, rather, that we control how the technology happens to us,” he said.

Mr. Holness noted that the Government’s policy is to see Jamaica transition to a digital society.

“That is a commitment we have made… it is something that we believe in. We are trying to use technology to make the Jamaican experience more efficient,” the Prime Minister emphasised.

He was addressing the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) retreat, held recently at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St. Andrew.

Mr. Holness underscored the role of the National Identification System (NIDS) in building out Jamaica as a digital society.

NIDS is intended to provide a comprehensive and secure structure to enable the collection and storage of personal identity information.

The voluntary system will also facilitate the electronic signing of documents and allow persons to securely access a range of government services online.

NIDS will become the primary source for identity assurance and verification and will result in improved governance and management of social, economic and security programmes.

Mr. Holness said significant investments have been made in developing the technology around NIDS to ensure that the system is reliable and that citizens’ information is protected.

“We are using the best technology there is to keep the data secure,” he said, adding that extensive work has been done in crafting the legislative framework to protect citizens’ rights, guard against abuse, and ensure an effective system for redress.

“NIDS is a priority for the Government. We are almost there now and we are about to establish the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). It is an entire bureaucracy [that] has to be created to deliver this service, which is the root of the efficient use of technology in Jamaica,” Prime Minister Holness pointed out.

The NIRA will have responsibility for the layered roll out and management of NIDS.

It will assume the administration of the civil registration system in Jamaica, replacing the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), and provide enhanced services.