“What we are clearly doing is monitoring the uptake and revenue flows”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While the government is anticipating a “revenue bump” due to the introduction of its digital payment platform, Acting Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson noted yesterday that it has not set any particular targets in light of what he described as an “anomalous period”.
Johnson, while addressing a Port Department DigiPay press conference, noted: “We haven’t set any particular targets because we are in an anomalous period. Setting targets in an economy impacted by the pandemic would be a challenge not comparing like for like. What we are clearly doing is monitoring the uptake and revenue flows.”
He further noted: “We anticipate a revenue bump-up, but revenues are down because of what is happening in the broader economy.”
Johnson said previous attempts to digitize certain government services did not provide the level of integration and interoperability as the DigiPay platform.
“There were different platforms that were not necessarily integrated,” he said.
“There were several entities collecting payments online via debit and credit card. DigiPay provides a single platform for all government agencies.”
State Finance Minister Kwasi Thompson yesterday noted: “We are progressing with respect to the DigiPay platform. The government has a policy to go cashless but it also has a policy that we will do this on a progressive basis.
“In October, we started with the Department of Immigration, then we moved to the judiciary and now the Port Department. You will see other agencies like Customs and Road Traffic and we will continue on.
“We also want to move ahead with the Sand Dollar. We want government agencies to accept payment through the Sand Dollar platform, so it’s going to be a progression.”
Thompson noted that previous online government services offered very little ability to pay online.
“The government website had certain forms you had to print out and either email or turn in manually,” said Thompson.
“You can now apply online and you can pay online, which you couldn’t do on certain services before.”
