US$1.4 Million Allocated to eGov Jamaica

A sum of US$1.4 million has been allocated to eGov Jamaica Limited for institutional strengthening, in becoming the implementer of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions for the Government.

The money has been drawn from the US$37.6-million Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project, which seeks to strengthen public resource management and support selected public-sector institutions in facilitating a more enabling environment for private-sector growth.

The initiative was formalised during a signing ceremony at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Heroes Circle office, in Kingston on August 25.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw; Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley; and Chief Executive Officer, eGov Jamaica, Herman Athias.

Mr. Shaw informed that the components and estimated costs are strategic positioning and operational strengthening, US$610,000; governance and management, US$140,000; training, US$434,000; and tooling, US$216,000.

He said the institutional strengthening of eGov Jamaica Limited will be undertaken to provide medium to long-term support of the Public Financial Management systems under Component Three of the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project.

Component three is the adaptive public-sector approaches to promote fiscal sustainability. This component will support activities that will contribute to the sustainability of the Government’s reform process in public administration, fiscal sustainability and growth.

Mr. Shaw said the modernisation seeks to ensure that the requisite governance, organisational structure, processes, methods and standards are in place and are consistent with modern ICT solution providers.

For his part, Dr. Wheatley said the partnership paves the way for the financial and technical resources to modernise eGov Jamaica and strategically position the public sector into the information age.

“We have been and remain committed to transforming Jamaica into a digital and knowledge-based society while at the same time driving better ICT governance throughout Government to make it more efficient,” he said.

Dr. Wheatley said the initiative demonstrates the Government’s commitment to the increased use of technology in the public sector.

He thanked the partners, such as the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service for their contribution.

The Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project also seeks to create a transformation framework which is in direct support of the Vision 2030 outcome of achieving an enabling business environment through improvements in ICT.

It also aims to proliferate and promote the delivery of first-class, easily accessible and secure e-Government services.

Of the figure, US$35 million is through loan financing from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), while the remainder is a grant from DFID.

eGov Jamaica Limited (formerly Fiscal Services Limited (FSL) was incorporated on April 15, 1985. eGov Jamaica roles have been expanded from providing ICT services to the revenue departments to being the implementer of ICT services for the Government.