GEMS fared poorly before current government: Minister Shauna

The Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Aminath Shauna, expressed that the government's inter-agency communication system, GEMS, was in a critical state before the current administration assumed office.

During the ceremony to launch the government's digital portal "oneGov", Minister Shauna revealed that GEMS, had faced significant delays in processing letters between government agencies. She cited that it often took two to three days for letters to be drafted and sent through the GEMS portal, resulting in a rise in complaints due to the prolonged response times.

According to Minister Shauna, the government's inter-agency communication system, GEMS, launched in 2010 but had experienced significant shortcomings and inefficiencies since its inception. Upon assuming her position, the Minister prioritized addressing the communication lag among government bodies as her first task.

The Minister highlighted that one of the major shortcomings of the GEMS system was the lack of a proper monitoring feature, which prevented Ministers from viewing letters sent to other government agencies. During her tenure as the Minister for technology, she focused on upgrading the system to include comprehensive monitoring capabilities that allow for tracking the progress of documents and applications.

The latest update of GEMS is currently undergoing evaluation, and it includes the integration of five different government ministries. The government's ultimate goal is to expand the platform to include over 400 state-related agencies.

In addition to discussing future plans for the GEMS system, Minister Shauna emphasized the significance of data protection and safety as the Maldives transitions towards becoming a fully digital government. The Ministry has initiated the process of collecting public opinions and feedback for the Data Privacy and Protection Bill, and it has also commenced drafting the Cybersecurity Bill.

Minister Shauna acknowledged the challenges of retaining IT specialists in the Maldives and highlighted the limited number of technical staff at the National Center for Information Technology (NCIT). However, she emphasized that efforts have been made to address this issue by increasing the remuneration for IT employees. The budget of the NCIT has been increased by 122 percent, allowing for the recruitment of additional employees. Currently, the NCIT has a workforce of 38 employees, indicating progress in strengthening the technical capabilities of the organization.