By Sandor Panton, ContributorFOR JAMAICA, the dawn of the Internet has undoubtedly broken, and so many individuals and companies now utilize its power to find and disseminate information. This is however akin to a baby taking its first exploratory steps, and the true value and power of the Internet and how it will really affect the lives of Jamaicans has not yet been realized. So what should we hope is in store for Jamaica and the Internet?
How about true E-Governance, a situation where we as tax-payers can interact with the Government in a more convenient, efficient and less time-consuming manner than we are currently used to. Imagine not having to ask your manager at work for time off, so you can stand in line for many precious minutes (or even hours) waiting to pay a traffic fine. Late last year it was announced by Technology Minister, Phillip Paulwell, that Jamaicans would soon be able to pay income tax, drivers license fees and other statutory obligations via the Internet. The news report last week that compliant taxpayers now have the option to apply for their tax compliant certificate (TCC) via e-mail is a small step toward what we hope is a true E-Government.
ONLINE BANKING?
What about online banking? According to a recent TIME magazine report, approximately 57 per cent of North Americans now pay their utility bills online. Just two years ago this number was just 17 per cent. Given that Jamaica is usually two to three years behind with some technological advances, it definitely serves as fair warning that in the not too distant future, a large percentage of Jamaicans will be opting to pay their bills and do other banking transactions online rather than line up in the banking halls. Yes, telephone banking has been available for sometime now, but for some including me, banking transactions can be completed much more quickly on the Internet than via the telephone.
What about true E-commerce? For years Jamaican merchants have longed for the functionality that would allow real-time acceptance and processing of Jamaican credit cards for online purchases. While a couple banks currently offer this on a limited scale for special customers, it should be available to anyone that requires it. Obviously the onus is on the banks (implementers) and the Government (facilitators) to make this happen. They worked together to implement MultiLink's debit/credit card processing, and looking at Jamaican e-commerce on a similarly important scale is a must.
Accessibility is however the ultimate factor that will affect Jamaica's cyber future, and cost is the catalyst here. Unlike current local trends, Internet access prices and related costs (telephone usage, hardware etc.) need to trend downward. This is critical, especially since it affects Internet users at all levels; from web development companies that need stable, constant and high speed access, to the average user who may need to log on daily to check e-mail and browse the web. A 2001 study by E-Gateway.Net highlighted the impact of access costs on Internet usage, as it showed that countries in Latin America tended to have high telephone costs and few Internet users, while Scandinavian countries, have low telephone costs and more advanced Internet use.
Sandor Panton is an Internet specialist and consultant.
If you have any comments, contact him at feedback@jamaica-gleaner.com. This series is brought to you by www.go-jamaica.com, the portal web site of The Gleaner.
