digital frontier

(MVIL) is the latest government agency to be making a massive investment in its online systems, with a new payment gateway for online payment of premiums and registrations expected in the second quarter of 2023,’ says Michael Makap, CEO of MVIL.

‘Future plans include the rollout of a decentralised claims system – because accidents happen all over the country. We are also currently investing in our financial reporting, claims and vehicle registrations systems, and have implemented a smart queue management system (Qmatic) to reduce wait times in branches.’

Meanwhile, PNG Customs is working closely with port operator ICTSI to develop an automated clearance system at the country’s two major ports.

THE INSIDE VIEW: STEVEN MATAINAHO, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Quick wins for e-government over the next 12 to 24 months will include the Cloud First policy, with any department having access to the cloud.

It will be up to individual government departments to choose from several accredited cloud providers, as outlined in the Digital Government Act.

At the click of a few buttons, citizens will have access to government services at their fingertips. We can now digitise social-related interactions, like the National Identification card registration process, drivers’ licences, police clearances, and people can also register online when visiting a clinic.

Just the start

James Inglis, CEO of fintech company Niupay, which has been directly involved in the development of the public sector’s digital platform since 2020, expects other key government departments to make the next digital leap over the next three years.

‘The last 12 months have been really exciting for us and we’ve had some significant feature enhancements with our three main clients here in PNG right now, including Immigration, the Department of Lands and the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC),’ he says.

‘At the end of 2021, we went live with an account payment ecosystem for the IRC and are currently in our soft launch for digital (e-tax) lodgements.’ 