E-GOVERNMENT
Currently majority of the Governement, even the muncipal governement, have websites that vistors can access information that includes the functions and operations of the government agency . Vistors can also access informaton, as well as download applications, on forms and procedures offered by the government body. The Government's vision is to move forward to the transaction level on e-government.
Under the Project, the E-Government component will support efforts in three areas: (1) putting a number of fiscal agencies online; (2) web enabling the operation of key trade agencies; and (3) developing a strategy, conducting a feasibility study of e-procurement and supporting the establishment of an e-procurement system. The objective of this component is to reduce the transaction costs incurred by citizens and businesses when they deal with Government. The component will also increase the efficiency and effectiveness of fiscal and trade agencies and it will improve the procurement process.
Efforts to automate the operations of the fiscal agencies through the use of ICT have been relatively success. The Project will finance the necessary hardware, software and some consulting services to permit the Fiscal Service Limited (FSL) to take a total of seven fiscal agencies to the point where all tranactions with businesses and citizens could be carried out online. The Government plans to spend US$29 million over the next two years to implement this an online revenue collection program. the program, which is being funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), will be implemented in three phases.
Phase One- Electric payment to the Jamaican Customs Department
Phase Two -Full online payment of the General Concumption Tax (GCT). Involves the income and other taxes.
Phase Three-Payment of taxes online by corporate sector and self-employed individuals.
This project will also provide resources to web-enable the processes of the most critical trage agencies and will provide the necessary linkage to Customs and IRD/TAAD, agenecies that will be supported by FSL. This is expected to decrease the time required to process transactions significantly.
The Jamican Governement is also committed to introducing an E-procurement system designed to increase efficiency and trasparency. The Project will finance the design of a strategy, a feasibility study and the introduction of e-procurement.