28 Mar 2021

Taking government services online will help improve overall efficiency and reduce queues at service points, Minister of Tertiary Education, Research , Science and Technology Dr Douglas Letsholathebe has said in Molepolole on March 25.

He said this when giving a keynote address during the launch of eight government online services to be housed at Molepolole 1Gov Service Cenre Hall at Mafenyatlala Mall.

Such arrangements, he said, would help reduce tendencies of people having to wake up in the middle of the night to queue for government services, because now they will be able to enjoy such in the comfort of their homes.

The one stop service centre, the minister indicated was a model government wanted to adopt across the country to deliver services to Batswana.  

“As government we want to transform the way we offer services to people both online and in person,” he highlighted. 

Dr Letsholathebe, who is also MP for Tati East, said Mafenyatlala facility would allow access to eight government service online including local authorities and state-owned entities.

Services to be offered at Mafenyatlala service hall facility will include application for Common Law and Rights, application for internship, application for Customary Rights, Application for driving licenses and renewal of vehicle registration, application for plants import, permit to sell veterinary drugs and vaccines, equipment and livestock feeds as well as registration for BAITS permit.

He felt government strongly believed that the re-engineering and digitalisation of government services offered an opportunity to create lasting employment opportunities and a thriving ICT industry to be able to export ideas and processes for global consumption.

“Taking government services online will improve our resilience as a country as the use of digital services and enhanced connectivity are key drivers of economic growth and job creation,” he said.

The minister highlighted that the centre enabled the public access to online services through mobile government App and portal could be accessed through www.Igov.gov.bw.

Mafenyatlala facility, established in 2015 with the intention to provide e-gov services at a central place, has been dormant with BURS as the only entity providing regular services to the public and a few council services.

UNDP Resident Representative Ms Jacinta Barrins pledged to support Mafenyatlala Service Hall initiative through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to enable some of its services to go online.

The support, she said, would mean working closely with relevant ministries to help translate the current manual services to go online, so that services could be accessible from any location across the country. 

Kweneng District Council chairperson, Mr Motlhophi Leo expressed optimism that the development would help to reduce congestion as government fast-tracked provision of online services, and help mitigate against COVID-19. Ends