LocationsThe Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) Launched to Enhance Mauritius' Public Service Efficiency
July 20, 2023
UNDP Resident Representative, Amanda Serumaga, is confident that the EDMS will help improve the efficiency of the public service.
20 July 2023 - The Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), developed through a partnership between the UNDP Country Office for Mauritius and the Government of Japan, was launched by the Honourable Teeruthraj Hurdoyal, Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms at Balaclava today. The event was also attended by His Excellency Kawaguchi Shuichiro, Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius; Ms Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, and officers of the public service.
The EDMS was developed under the COVID – Prevention, Response and Early Recovery Project (PREP), as part of the UNDP Mauritius Country Office efforts to support the government in improving public services and other functions through digitalisation. Designed to enable business continuity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, this project sustained by funds from the Government of Japan, aims at transforming traditional ways of collaborating and interacting within the Government, including the Parliament.
The EDMS also also aspires to facilitate civil service processes to ensure business continuity and agility; enable flexible working arrangements; sustain core democratic functions in times of crisis, and minimise the impacts of disruptions on the service delivery system across ministries. The project is equally being implemented to achieve specific objectives within public institutions, namely streamlining of registry processes; improved accessibility; secured and centralised storage of official files on a service platform, and seamless storage, retrieval and sharing of information across ministries and departments.
A major step towards the modernization of the public service
Addressing the audience, the Honourable Teeruthraj Hurdoyal, Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms expressed his gratitude to the UNDP and the Government of Japan for their support in the implementation of the EDMS in Mauritius. Minister Hurdoyal stressed that “the pandemic has unveiled the limitations of traditional paper-based document management systems and shown the importance of agile systems which allow to swiftly adapt to changing circumstances, facilitate remote work and maintain essential services”. According to the minister, “the launch of the EDMS marks a turning point in the country’s journey towards a more efficient, transparent and citizen-centric Government”. Minister Hurdoyal added that the EDMS is a catalyst of change and shared his vision of “a greener public sector that is highly efficient and technology-driven, capable of responding to the evolving needs of more knowledgeable citizens”.
His Excellency Kawaguchi Shuichiro, Ambassador of Japan in Mauritius, stated that the EDMS will be a crucial element in the digital transformation of the public sector where the demand for government services is increasing. The Ambassador of Japan added that: “Japan is proud to be a close partner of Mauritius and to be part of its successful and speedy economic recovery”. He concluded by saying that there will be more room for cooperation between Mauritius and Japan in the post-pandemic era.
UNDP Resident Representative, Amanda Serumaga, stated that the launch of the EDMS comes at a timely moment to address the demand for a comprehensive and flexible Electronic Document Management System to enable a Paperless Government, in accordance to the provisions of the Data Protection Act and Electronic Transactions Act. UNDP Resident Representative reiterated UNDP’s commitment towards continued partnership with the government of Mauritius. She concluded on an optimistic note, stating that “the implementation of the EDMS will have a positive impact on delivering inclusive and efficient public goods and services”.
The launch of the EDMS also included a presentation of the EDMS project implementation journey by Mr. Suraj Ramgoolam, Assistant Director of the Public Sector Business Transformation Bureau and demonstrations by the EDMS Team. Following the demonstration, the UNDP Socio Economic Development Unit team also had a working session with key project teams of digital projects supported under the Japanese Supplementary Budget.