Minister of Digital Transformation Hassel Bacchus vows the country will be “digitally transformed” by the end of this government’s term leading to more fulfilling jobs, and setting standards that won’t be easily overturned even if there is a change in government.
Bacchus was speaking at his first post cabinet news briefing on Thursday as he gave the country an update on what his Ministry was doing.
The Minister said government is moving forward with Dr Rowley’s campaign promise to have a unique identifying number for every citizen which would tie them to state, making it easier to do business. Bacchus pointed out that a passport may only tie a person to immigration, and a drivers’ license to the transport division but there is no one card that does all.
He said crucial to this would be an upcoming trip to Estonia with whom this country signed a Memorandum of Understanding several years ago to help the process along. Estonia is seen is the gold standard worldwide in having a society interacting with state entities digitally.
But the Minister also acknowledged, that our society might not always been accommodating to change and embracing technology. Often, upgrades can lead to job joss, but the minister said he understands the fears.
“Technology scares people,” Bacchus said. “Does technology replace me? Do I become obsolete? How do I fit in this world? In this digital society Part of that is a good part of our because one of the ways that we have to fix that is through Symon [de Nobriga], through communication. Another way that we have to fix that is through Dr Dolly, through education. The media has a big part to do with that.”
Minister Bacchus went as far as to say, the technology could in fact make jobs more fulfilling. He gave the example of a worker in a ministry whose sole purpose was to receive an application form and file it away.
“One of the things that technology could do is replace that job by simply saying fill out this form online. Do it a different way. Just about that person that becomes obsolete. That is not true!” he said.
He said instead that person could now be tasked with quickly redirecting a person who has filled out a form incorrectly to the right place, saving a return trip to an office or a trip to a new office.
He explained, “That person who was simply just collecting a form and looking at it and can now have a more fulfilling job of being able to contact them and say, ‘Listen, we've noticed you applied for this for this particular thing. You've applied in the wrong place. I can help you fix it.’ What does that do? It's the same person. Minimal upskilling. They have a more fulfilling job as far as we are concerned in terms of what they're doing.”
Bacchus was asked about the public scepticism this could be done within his tenure as minister.
He was presented with the example of the digital vaccination cards which were never rolled out. Bacchus strongly defended the cards saying the technology is there, and it works, but it has simply become obsolete now. He vowed, however that by the end of his term the country would see some transformation that will withstand the test of time.
“My mandate does not extend beyond the natural life of this [administration]. So I have to finish. not trying, I will finish what I have to do within that time frame,” he said. “But understand what I'm saying. That doesn't mean that Trinidad and Tobago will be digitally transformed come 2025. It means we will be well on the way there and the things that will be put in place, regardless of which regime takes over or if we continue, it will be very difficult to replace.”
He said the measures will be integral to not just how people function individually, but with how the interact with the state as well.