How Unlimited access to Government of Jamaica Websites heralds Electronic Transactions and Mobile Money

“What this means is that even if your credit is done, if your data plan is exhausted or in arrears, Jamaicans will be able to access key [sites] to pay taxes; apply for birth certificates and access educational material online for free”

Minister of Science, Technology and Energy Dr. Andrew Wheatley commenting on the announcement of Data free access to GOJ websites

Minister of Science, Technology and Energy Dr. Andrew Wheatley, has made a move that may possible be bordering on pure genius.

Jamaicans will now be able to access GOJ (Government of Jamaica) websites without having to use up Megabytes on their smartphones as reported in the article “Government websites accessible without data plan”, published Tuesday, June 21, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

He made this declaration during his presentation on Tuesday June 21st 2016 during the 2016/17 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives. In that presentation, he made mention the fact that the Government will be delivering on their 10 ­point Information and communications technology (ICT) plan for free access to key online services.

This is a part of his plan to implement an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act, a Data Protection Act and a single ICT Regulator as explained in my blog article entitled “Why OUR Telecommunications Market Information Report indicate Jamaicans love Snapchat and High-Speed Internet”.

Effectively unlimited Data for Government Websites, this arrangement is possible thanks to negotiation between the Ministry of Science, Technology and Energy and the Telecom Providers FLOW Jamaica and Digicel Jamaica. This includes the ninety five (95) Government websites as listed below:

1.      Access To Information http://www.ati.gov.jm/

2.      Agri-Business Council http://www.agribusjamaica.org/

3.      Agricultural Support http://www.assp.gov.jm/

4.      Airports Authority http://www.airportsauthorityjamaica.aero/

5.      Anti-dumping/ Subsidies http://www.jadsc.gov.jm/

6.      Auditor General's Dept. http://www.auditorgeneral.gov.jm/

7.      Betting, Gaming & Lotteries http://www.bglc.gov.jm/

8.      British High Commission http://www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/jamaica

9.      Bureau of Standards  http://www.jbs.org.jm/

10.  Carib Pesticides http://www.caribpesticides.net/

11.  CEATA http://www.ceatajamaica.gov.jm/

12.  Child Dev. Agency http://www.cda.gov.jm/

13.  Ciboj.Org http://www.ciboj.org/

14.  Citizen Security & Justice Programme http://www.csjp.gov.jm/

15.  Civil Aviation Authority http://www.jcaa.gov.jm/

16.  Consel General - UN http://www.congenjamaica-ny.org/

17.  Consumer Affairs http://www.consumeraffairsjamaica.gov.jm/

18.  Correctional Services http://www.dcsj.net/

19.  Cruise Jamaica http://www.cruisejamaica.com/

20.  E-Jamaica http://www.e-jamaica.gov.jm/

21.  Early Childhood Comm. http://www.ecc.gov.jm/

22.  Embassy of Japan http://www.jamaica.emb-japan.go.jp/

23.  Embassy Washington http://www.embassyofjamaica.org/

24.  European Commission http://www.deljam.ec.europa.eu/

25.  Export Centres & Business Info http://www.ecbip.com/

26.  Fair Trading Comm. http://www.jftc.com/

27.  Family Planning Board http://www.jnfpb.org/

28.  Fin. Services Comm. http://www.fscjamaica.org/

29.  FINSAC http://www.finsac.com/

30.  Firearm Licensing  http://www.fla.gov.jm/

31.  Fiscal Services http://www.fsl.org.jm/projects/index.html

32.  Food Storage Division http://www.fspid.gov.jm/

33.  Foreign Affairs & Trade http://www.mfaft.gov.jm/

34.  Govt. Archives & Records http://www.jard.gov.jm/

35.  High Comm. - UK  http://www.jhcuk.com/

36.  Housing Agency of Ja http://www.hajl.gov.jm/

37.  Intellectual Property http://www.jipo.gov.jm/

38.  Int'l Seabed Authority http://www.isa.org.jm/

39.  Irrigation Commission http://www.nicjamaica.com/

40.  Jamaica Constabulary http://www.jcf.gov.jm/

41.  Jamaica Defence Force http://www.jdfmil.org/

42.  Jamaica Mission - U.N. http://www.un.int/jamaica/

43.  Jamaica Parliament http://japarliament.gov.jm/

44.  Jamaica Police Fed. http://www.jamaicapolicefed.org.jm/

45.  Jamaica Ship Registry http://www.jamaicaships.com/

46.  Jamaica Social Investment Fund http://www.jsif.org/

47.  Jamaica Tax Online (2) http://www.jamaicatax-online.gov.jm/

48.  Jamaica Trade Board http://www.tradeboard.gov.jm/

49.  Jamaican Consulate (FL) http://www.jamaicacgmiami.org/

50.  Jamaican Police http://www.jamaicanpolice.com/

51.  jExporter http://www.jexporter.com/

52.  Kings House  http://www.kingshouse.gov.jm/

53.  KSAC  http://www.ksacorp.gov.jm/

54.  Land Information Council http://www.licj.org.jm/

55.  Let's Keep It Clean  http://www.letskeepitclean.org.jm/

56.  Local Government http://www.mlge.gov.jm/

57.  Mining & Telecoms http://www.mmt.gov.jm/

58.  Ministry of Agriculture http://www.moa.gov.jm/

59.  Ministry of Health http://www.moh.gov.jm/

60.  Ministry of Justice http://www.moj.gov.jm/

61.  Ministry of Labour http://www.mlss.gov.jm/

62.  Ministry of Technology http://www.mct.gov.jm/

63.  N.E.P.A  http://www.nepa.gov.jm/

64.  National Health Fund  http://www.nhf.org.jm/

65.  National Land Agency http://www.nla.gov.jm/

66.  National Security http://www.mns.org.jm/

67.  National Works Agency  http://www.nwa.gov.jm/

68.  National Youth Service  http://www.nysjamaica.org/

69.  NHDC http://www.nhdc.gov.jm/

70.  Office of Disaster Prep. http://www.odpem.org.jm/

71.  Office of Utilities Reg. http://www.our.org.jm/

72.  Passport and immigration Agency http://www.pica.gov.jm/

73.  Planning Institute  http://www.pioj.gov.jm/

74.  Police Authority  http://pcoa.gov.jm/

75.  Port Authority of Jamaica http://www.portjam.com/

76.  Postal Corporation http://www.jamaicapost.gov.jm/

77.  Prime Minister's Office  http://www.opm.gov.jm/

78.  Psra.gov.Jm http://www.psra.gov.jm/

79.  Qualifications Register http://www.nqrjamaica.org/

80.  Registrar of Companies  http://www.orcjamaica.com/

81.  SERHA http://www.serha.gov.jm/

82.  S Regional Health Authority  http://www.srha.gov.jm/

83.  Scientific Research http://www.src-jamaica.org/

84.  Social Dev. Commission http://www.sdc.gov.jm/

85.  Solid Waste Mgmt. http://www.nswma.gov.jm/

86.  Spectrum Management http://www.sma.gov.jm/

87.  St. James Parish Council http://www.stjamespc.org/

88.  Statistical Institute http://www.statinja.com/

89.  Sugar Cane Enterprise  http://www.sugarcanejamaica.com/

90.  Supreme Court  http://www.sc.gov.jm/

91.  The Contractor General  http://www.ocg.gov.jm/

92.  Toll Authority http://www.tollauthority.gov.jm/

93.  Tourism Product Dev. http://www.tpdco.org/

94.  Transport & Works http://mtw.gov.jm/

95.  Urban Dev. Corporation http://www.udcja.com/

So what does this mean for the average Jamaican?

Unlimited access to Government of Jamaica Websites - Free access encourages Electronic Transactions, Mobile Money

This is great news for Jamaicans seeking to keep up with the Government of Jamaica as well as doing business with the Government of Jamaica.

It also means that you don't have to have a data plan on your smartphone and neither will it use up your credit, forcing you to seek the refuge of Wi-Fi as explained in my Geezam blog article entitled “FLOW Jamaica MiFi helps you use Prepaid Mobile Internet Plan wisely”.

This'll make it easier for Jamaicans to pay their Taxes and keep up with Information on the Government from the JIS Website, but it'll also boost traffic to these websites.  The Ministry of Science, Technology and Energy can then use this increased traffic to offer premium advertising to local MSME (Micro small and Medium Enterprises) on their government websites, allowing the Ministry to earn enough revenue so that the websites can not only pay for their hosting but also become a source of increased revenue.

But more interestingly, it open up the gateway for the introduction of increased Electronic Transactions to do Government Business, as free access to GOJ websites removes yet another barrier to a Cashless society as argued in my blog article entitled “How Electronic Transactions in Jamaica can eliminate Hidden Economy via Universal Consumption Taxation”.

Mobile Money may even be introduced as means for paying for Government Services on these freely accessible websites as predicted in my blog article entitled “How NCB Mobile Money by AIS and Quisk heralds Mobile phone ATM Withdrawals by December 2016”.

The use of Electronic Transactions and Mobile Money to conduct business with the Government of Jamaica will result in increased tax compliance and will result in increased revenues that can be used to implement things such as:

1.      Free Education up to University level

2.      Free Housing

3.      Free Transportation

4.      Free Healthcare

Ultimately, revenue from special advertising and increased Government Business will benefit the Government of Jamaica, information Jamaicans freely on their smartphones and making Tax compliance easier to achieve.