More on Budget
Getting Fiji online has been a major focus for the FijiFirst Government. Over the years, they have systematically invested in initiatives such as Walesi and the digitalFIJI mobile application. This was enhanced further in the 2019-2020 National Budget.
Why is this online shift important?
Technology already touches nearly everything we do in our day-today lives. From the cars we drive, to the treatment we receive in hospitals, to the way we do business, technology gives us incredible new tools that can raise our standards of living to previously unimaginable levels. Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said: “By its very nature – this digital revolution is advancing at an exponential rate. And through a $39.0 million allocation to our flagship initiative –– digitalFiji –– we’re keeping Fiji at the cutting edge of innovation in leveraging this wave of new advancements to our advantage, helping deliver better, faster and more efficient government services.”
What has happened, what will happen:
In April of this year, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama rolled out online birth registration services for babies born at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital; a revolutionary new function of the digitalFiji app that massively expedites the process of registering a new baby. Using this app, new mothers and fathers can begin the birth registration process as soon as they decide their new-born child’s name, be it from the hospital bed or the comfort of their own home. Next week, new mothers and fathers in Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka and Ba will enjoy the same convenience of using the digitalFiji app for faster, online birth registration.
By July 5, this same service will be extended to the Northern Division - Savusavu, Labasa and Taveuni and by August 9, it will be rolled out to Rakiraki and Nausori.
digitalFiji will continue to spearhead Government’s push towards the speed and efficiency of a cashless society by introducing electronic payment options across governments services.
That effort –– combined with the surge of nationwide connectivity –– will grant access to Government services nearly everywhere in the country.
From June 14, online payment options will be available for current e-services such as birth registration and Registrar of Companies services. As new services expand on to the digitalFiji platform, they will also incorporate electronic payment options.
“We want Fijians to take advantage of this transition, so Government will be covering all of the associated card fees on electronic payments for government services, while also undertaking a review of Government fees and charges, many of which have not been updated for decades.”
Passports:
Government is also working on the transition from paper-based passports to state-of-the-art e-Passports with contactless chips that contain security features in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards. “In line with our commitment to a more secure Fiji, these e-Passports will make it more difficult for people to illegally enter the country, and easier for Fijians travelling overseas to use e-Passport gates to speed through airport immigration queues.
“We’re not only making Fiji safer, we’re making travelling easier and setting Fiji up for wider visa-free status around the world.
“We’ll be progressively issuing these new e-passports throughout the next financial year.”
People Hub:
The next phase for digitalFiji will involve combining different sources of data into streamlined, easyto-access hubs; one for Fijian citizens information, another for our businesses information and one for land information. “Right now, information across government is outdated at best and completely unavailable at worst. It’s the reason why our people find themselves waiting for days –– sometimes weeks –– longer than necessary for approvals,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
digitalFiji will create a “People Hub” that relies on a secure and centralised information curator and publisher within Government.
What does this mean?
No loose-leaf papers spread out across five different ministries, but one, secure digitised information source.
When someone applies for government services, that person’s basic information, such as their name, date of birth and TIN number, can be pulled up and viewed in realtime by Government officials who have the relevant access privileges.
“Fijians can trust that information is safe and the Ministries can trust that information is both accurate and up-to-date, without having to ask anything more of the person seeking their services. “By February of next year, the People Hub will be operational.”
How does this benefit Fijians?
With this hub up and running, someone living in Taveuni who qualifies for social welfare assistance will no longer have to travel to the Birth, Death and Marriage Registration office to obtain his or her birth certificate and take his or her documentation to the social welfare office.
Instead, they simply need to provide their basic details online. The Department of Social Welfare will then be able to validate the information against the secure database -- the “People Hub” -- and their staff can verify the documentation online.
And that very same day, that person could complete the entire registration process to begin receiving the assistance he deserves, all without ever leaving his home in Vuna.