SVG benefiting from US$30 million Digital Transformation Project

St Vincent and the Grenadines is among four OECS states that will benefit from World Bank funded Digital Transformation Project.

This information was provided by the minister with responsibility for Information Technology Camillo Gonsalves in Parliament on Tuesday October 3.

At the time, Gonsalves who is also Minister of Finance, was wrapping up debate on the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunication Authority (ECTEL) Bill 2023.

The project in this country is to be financed in the sum of US $30 million, which is part of the World Bank’s US $94 million for digital transformation in St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica and Grenada.

Gonsalves told the house on Tuesday, that under this project, government will be “putting the citizens at the centre of the digital transformation process.”

He explained that as part of the project, government will be implementing an integrated identification system, including the civil registry and an authentication platform.

The minister added that there will be a single ID for every Vincentian, which is separate from the national ID card.

Gonsalves further explained that everyone needs a unique identification that follows them from birth to death.

He added that this will enable persons to do electronic transactions, even as government upgrades its digital infrastructure.

Additionally, Gonsalves disclosed that equipment is being purchased to digitize all paper deeds at the registry.

“We are going to change the way in which we register and record titles in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he noted.

The process of recording titles will soon become entirety electronic; as will making payments to government offices.

The minister also spoke about the planned implementation of government’s digital payment platform, which will be called GovPay.

This new payment system is being tested and will soon be rolled out across all government services.

With this new payment platform, Vincentians will no longer have to move from one office to the other, to make payments for this such birth papers and passports.

“All that will be done using GovPay.”

Additionally, government is addressing the need for a centralized data centre in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Minister Gonsalves said the designs for this centre have been done, and soon, government will be creating a single window for citizens to be able to conduct business with government in a more efficient manner.

Also, persons will be able to use a simple application to interact with state agencies.

“Government is putting its money where it’s moth is, on the issue of digital transformation,” Gonsalves stressed.