Friday 24 March 2023
DICT’s Deputy Secretary for Digital Government and Information Delivery, Russell Woruba, emphasizing on the significance of cloud in effective government services, at the recent Government Cloud Policy Validation workshop at Stanley Hotel, Port Moresby.
The Department of ICT’s Deputy Secretary for Digital Government and Information Delivery, Russell Woruba, says Papua New Guinea can invest more on digital infrastructure to improve efficiency for the whole of government.
When speaking at a recent Validation Workshop on the Government Cloud Policy, Mr Woruba stated, PNG could look at international digital transformation models for countries like Estonia, who have invested more in their digital government, where it takes less than three minutes to retrieve tax returns.
“These countries have shown that with proper investment, technology can enhance government efficiency and transparency while reducing costs. Inefficiency in government procedures is a significant hindrance to progress, and investing in cloud services can help solve this problem,” said Mr Woruba.
In today’s world, where technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, governments need to keep up with digital transformation to meet the ever-increasing demands of citizens.
It is crucial for countries to look at other successful models worldwide and invest in digital infrastructure to enhance government efficiency and transparency.
Mr Woruba emphasized that cloud services provide effective platforms that allow infrastructure to be set up within minutes, freeing up resources to focus more on delivering quality services to the people of PNG, which is fundamentally the role of government.
“A dysfunctional government system that is not designed for efficiency is a significant challenge, but it is one that can be overcome by validating our thinking together in workshops like this.”
“The government must work in unison to deliver ICT services to the whole of government, as the digital government plan requires all of us to be on the same page.”
Mr. Woruba’s observation on the inefficiency procedures that agencies go through to acquire ICT services and infrastructure is a significant concern.
“It takes a considerable amount of time ranging from months to years, and this is where cloud services can make a massive difference.
“The government must be service-focused, and citizens must have easy access to services without having to stand in long queues.”
Mr Woruba added that coordination of public funds is another challenge that the Department of ICT must address, and digital transformation officers (DTOs) will be instrumental in driving the digital government plan to transform the whole of government.
“Cloud is the most efficient platform where all identity services will be placed, and the National Cyber Security Center will ensure secure data exchange.”
The government cloud policy is crucial in ensuring that all government services ride on a stable foundation, and by enforcing standards, compliance, and accrediting of cloud service providers, each agency can use this infrastructure effectively and securely.
The DICT hosted the validation workshop to elaborate on the values that this effective digital infrastructure can offer to improve the whole of government.
Investment in cloud services and efficient infrastructure is crucial in driving digital transformation, and the Department of ICT aims to ensure all government agencies are on the same page to deliver effective, transparent and efficient government services to the people.