Africa-Press – Mauritius. ‘MoKloud, a platform that will enhance public service delivery, has been developed to provide citizens with a convenient and safe access to their official documents.
This platform, a major breakthrough that opens a new chapter in Mauritius’ journey to paperless governance, will enable each and every citizen to reap the full benefits that new technologies can bring to our country’.
The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement, today, at the launching ceremony of the MoKloud platform, which is a Government cloud, at the Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall in Port-Louis.
The Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Darsanand Balgobin, as well as other personalities were also present at the event.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that services provided via MoKloud will maximise the opportunities for using digital technologies in order to make public administration more efficient and improve customer experience.
The goal, he pointed out, is to become a leading e-Government that delivers high-quality and cost-effective services to citizens. The Prime Minister observed that the launching of MoKloud coincides with the commemoration of the International Identity Day, which aims at raising awareness about the need to provide legal identity for all.
As such, during the initial starting period, documents such as birth and marriage certificates will be posted on the MoKloud platform and will be available free of charge. Other documents that will be made accessible on MoKloud at a later stage include driving licences, academic certificates and utility bills.
This online application will also help in the fight against the COVID-19 as a digital COVID-19 vaccination pass will soon be available on the platform for those who have been vaccinated, he underlined.
Furthermore, Mr Jugnauth stressed that it is critical for individuals and organisations to be able to digitally sign documents and as such, the birth and marriage certificates will be digitally signed by the Civil Status Division.
He added that MoKloud documents will also carry a QR code for authenticity verification. The Prime Minister also remarked that a new Certification Authority has been set up and is operated by the National Computer Board, so as to ensure that the genuineness of documents is verifiable.
This, according to him, will strengthen trust in this innovative online platform. Speaking about broadband connection, he underlined that Mauritius is currently connected to the World through three submarine cables and that the deployment of a fourth one is currently in progress.
The fourth cable will be operational within the next two years, he added. In addition, Mr Jugnauth underscored that Government is also investing in capacity building so as to equip citizens with the knowhow to serve in the digital environment.
Universities in Mauritius are therefore offering courses in artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity and big data so as to adapt skills to the jobs of the future.
The Prime Minister also dwelt on the imperative need of consolidating the local legal and regulatory framework due to threats accompanying changes and innovation. For his part, Minister Balgobin emphasised that MoKloud will be used for online storage of official documents.
He indicated that citizens are each allocated a space slot – their own digital safe – to keep the digital version of their documents which can be accessed through a computer or a smartphone. In the near future, he announced, a MoKloud mobile application will also be developed.
Moreover, Minister Balgobin underscored that Government, in a bid of building a Digital Mauritius, is initiating new changes and introducing new technologies to society, such as MoRendezVous, where citizens can schedule appointments at a specific time and date.
He also spoke about the introduction of a new Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Bill in the National Assembly, and recalled that the International Telecommunication Union, in its latest report, ranked Mauritius 1st in Africa and 17th in the World on the Global Cybersecurity Index 2020.
