Thursday 23 May 2024
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has hosted its first ever information session on the E-Government Portal (eGov) on Wednesday 22 May, which is set to be launched on September 12, 2024.
The Digital Government Act 2022 requires the establishment of a technical working group, made up of government agencies to streamline services and ensure citizens can access the services they need.
The main objective of the meeting is to digitalise key citizen-facing services through building service designs by identifying key points to improve the citizen experience.
DICT Secretary Steven Matainaho, in his opening remarks, emphasised the digital government approach that requires a comprehensive approach, rather than having one department building a portal.
Secretary Matainaho said that everyone must be involved and provide feedback to ensure success in the information session.
“Citizens should log in and out of different websites, avoiding manual processes and ensuring services are available online.”
He said this approach ensures citizens can access necessary services without having to return to the office.
A centralized citizen portal will provide services like voting, water and power bill payments, school grade records, medical certificates, and police clearance.
DICT is collaborating with teams from Water PNG Ltd., PNG Power Ltd, the Royal PNG Constabulary, and the Electoral Commission, to co-design a solution that will follow a GovStack approach, to meet the needs of respective digital services.
The goal is to make citizen-based services more accessible and efficient, eliminating the need for manual processes.
The meeting was attended by government stakeholders, which included Water PNG, PNG Power, the Education Department, the Electoral Commission, and the Royal PNG Constabulary (RPNGC).
According to Secretary Matainaho, the development process is set to be completed within three months, with a tight timeline, adding, “The objective is to gather feedback and understand the project’s scope in all information sessions, starting with this one.”
The e-government portal is and will be a one-stop shop for citizens to access services.
“Each agency manages its own mandated and functional processes, ensuring citizens can access basic services regardless of their agency.”
“The current basis for the e-government portal is based on a legal mandate and collaboration with stakeholders.”
“The goal is to present the proposed solution and work together to find a solution that works for all stakeholders.”
Furthermore, Secretary Matainaho expresses gratitude to those stakeholders who attended the first information session.
Meanwhile, DICT’s Project Manager, Des Yaninen said there is a need to complete the task by July for user acceptance testing in August 2024.