With the newly launched plan of modernising the delivery of essential government services, government aims to ensure that conducting administrative tasks with the State is easier for citizens.
This will be achieved through the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government, which sets out a focused plan to modernise the delivery of government services through investment in digital public infrastructure.
“With this roadmap, we are shifting from the fragmented past towards a unified, people-first, whole-of-government approach.
“The roadmap is not just a plan to use technology to improve the way we do things. It is a transformative vision to entirely reform the way that citizens can interact with government,” Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, said on Monday, in Johannesburg.
The roadmap will be implemented as part of Operation Vulindlela Phase ll, as it focuses on implementing reforms in three new areas, including in digital transformation.
These crucial digital reforms will enable all citizens to access seamless government services through a single trusted platform. This will be driven through improvements in identity verification, real-time payments, and data exchange.
Operation Vulindlela Phase ll is a joint initiative between the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms to enable economic growth and job creation.
The Digital Transformation Roadmap will focus on four catalytic initiatives:
- A Digital Identity System will allow South Africans a simple way to verify themselves and access services remotely.
- A Data Exchange Framework will eradicate the silo effect in government, and allow greater efficiency and coordination in how the government operates.
- A Digital Payments System that provides universal access to secure, low-cost payment options between government and citizens.
- A single, zero-rated Digital Services Platform, where citizens can access all government services and information.
“Collectively, these initiatives will help us get closer to achieving our vision of an inclusive, secure, and people-centred digital government.
“Together, these initiatives will illustrate to the world what we mean when we say: One Person. One Government. One Touch.
“At the heart of all of this, is our quest to ensure that citizens digital experience with government services is convenient, cost-effective, reliable and user-friendly,” the Minister said.
He explained that the Roadmap for Digital Transformation is about efficiency in government and equity for people.
“It is designed to reduce inequality in access to services, and to address the barriers to opportunity that come with that inequality. It is about reducing the hidden tax on the poor.
“At a time when connectivity has become such a central part of our lives, the ease of dealing with government must be the same across our country,” the Minister said.
He said the Digital Transformation Roadmap is not just about what government can do better.
“It is about who government can serve better. It is about giving our people back their time, so that they can spend it on things that matter more to them.
“It is about giving them more access to opportunity, so that they have a better chance of living up to their full potential. It is about trust, dignity, and doing things better. It is about a more inclusive and resilient South Africa,” the Minister said.
To ensure that all government departments work towards the same goal, the President has appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), which is chaired by Minister Malatsi.
The work of the IMC will be supported through an Inter-Departmental Working Group, responsible for ensuring integration across all government departments.
“With our collective commitment to agility, collaboration, innovation, resilience, and sustainability, we will use all the tools at our disposal to ensure success within our target timelines,” the Minister said.
To drive implementation of the roadmap, the Presidency is establishing the Digital Service Unit (DSU) to coordinate this whole-of-government effort to modernise services.
The Presidency has appointed South African tech entrepreneur, Melvyn Lubega, to lead the DSU.
Lubega is a globally recognised technology pioneer, who co-founded Go1 – a platform used by businesses, non-profit organisations, and governments in more than 60 countries.
He has advised governments in Africa, Asia and Europe on digital transformation programmes.
This article was originally published on SA Gov News.