Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, congratulated all nominees and awardees of the Public Service Excellence Award for 2023 at the Public Service Day, 2023 Symposium and Awards Ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Public Administration (MPA) and held at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, on Friday.
The Minister also expressed gratitude to Senator the Honourable Allyson West, Minister of Public Administration and the MPA staff for energising the public service through the planning and hosting of the event.
Minister Gopee-Scoon was among six panellists for the Symposium themed “Pivot: From Paper to Pixels: Modernising the Trinidad and Tobago Public Service.” Other participants included Senator the Honourable Hassel Bacchus, Minister of Digital Transformation, Dr. the Honourbale Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Education, Kirk Henry, Vice Chairman of the Digital Business and Technology Committee, TT Chamber of Industry of Commerce, and Arturo Muente-Kunigami, Modernisation of the State Lead Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank who joined remotely.
Sharing on the theme, Minister Gopee-Scoon highlighted some of the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s flagship projects that have significantly contributed to the wider digitisation thrust of the government which include:
TTBizLink
The Single Electronic Window, commonly known as TTBizLink which is an online platform that provides 24/7 access to applications for various trade and business related services. She noted that currently the platform, which was launched in 2009, offers applications for 37 different services in collaboration with 19 government ministries and agencies. The platform hosts over 41,000 users.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry, in 2016, initiated an enhancement project to strengthen and expand the Single Electronic Window. Phase 1 of the project willl see the enhancement of the existing 37 e-services, which will be launched in July, 2023. One of the major features is the implementation of online payments for all e-services offered on TTBizLink, which is critical to achieving end-to-end digitisation. Phase 2 will launch an additional 18 new e-services to the platform.
The Trade and Business Information Portal
The Ministry of Trade and Industry launched a Trade and Business Information Portal for Trinidad and Tobago in May 2022. As at March 2023, the Portal has received over 350,000 visits. Users of the Portal can find tools and resources under three main categories: Trade, Business and Investment, with step-by-step guidance on how to import and export goods, regulatory requirements for starting a new business or expanding an existing business and regulatory requirements when undertaking an investment.
Electronic Archiving System for the Trade License Unit
Under the project to implement an Electronic Archival System at the Trade Licence Unit (TLU), approximately 50,000 pages of paper files were digitised and indexed, allowing them to be instantly retrieved and simultaneously accessed by multiple approvers. This has vastly improved the ability of the TLU to serve the public through greater efficiency and transparency in the processing of the various permits and licences for the import and export of goods.
SheTrades
The SheTrades hub is an online platform that leverages digital technology to provide growth and development opportunities to women-led businesses through capacity building sessions, workshops, networking and opportunities to attend international trade shows and fairs. Currently there are 675 Trinidad and Tobago women-owned businesses registered on the platform.
Live Music District Booking Website
The Live Music District (LMD) is an entertainment hub created by MusicTT. MusicTT, in 2019, launched a booking website, which allowed for the digitisation of various aspects of the LMD hub and provides background information on the performers and on all of the participating venues. This has allowed persons to search and evaluate artistes and locations in real time. To date, there are approximately 340 artistes and music bands registered on the platform.
Remote Visual Inspection
The Remote Visual Inspection program, piloted by the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards and launched in July 2021, is an inspection method that uses video technology to allow an inspector to evaluate the conformity of goods from a remote location. This initiative allows approvers to inspect imported goods from their home or office, record the inspection results on the TTBizLink Mobile Inspection App and submit a final decision to the Customs and Excise Division right on the app. This eliminates the need for an Inspector to be physically present at the inspection site, which improves efficiency, productivity and cost effectiveness.
Port Community System
Another significant milestone towards digitising government services is the adoption of a Port Community System (PCS). The Ministry of Trade and Industry signed a contract on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, with SOGET for the implementation and maintenance of a PCS. This is a digital platform that will integrate the IT systems of the ports, Customs and Excise Division and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, making all systems interoperable and thereby improving the ease of doing business in Trinidad and Tobago.
Information on all of these and more can be found on the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s website at www.tradeind.gov.tt.
