By Tamesha Doughty on Tuesday, 5 April, 2022 at 08:54 PM

The public service is being encouraged to capitalize on the transformative potential of digital technology to change the way it does business.

Minister of Industry, Innovation Science and Technology, Davidson Ishmael, said he believes this was even more important now since there is a need for an effective and fast delivery of services.

He made these comments at the opening of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s two-day virtual digital conference entitled Adapt & Change: We Must!

Ishmael noted that his Ministry had already demonstrated the “huge potential” of public service transformation by rebuilding and delivering some of the most high-volume services and making them “digital by default”.

The EZpay+ payment platform, he said, where a number of payments to government can be made online is among these services.

Ishmael said that the digital Trident National Identification Card is another avenue Government is exploring to cement Barbados’ place in the digital world.  

“The digital National Trident ID card, which is a partnership between MIST and the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC), proposes the replacement of the existing ID card with a more secure, plastic ID card, which will possess a high degree of embedded security features,” he explained.

Ishmael acknowledged that the existing laminated ID card, which was launched in 1969, is no longer fit for purpose, is prone to fraud, and is not readily accepted outside of Barbados.

The new Trident ID card, he added, will not only facilitate everyday transactions where in-person identification is required, but it will also help to cut down on fraudulent use as it will be very difficult to replicate.