The National Geographical Information System (GIS) platform was launched, yesterday, by the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr. Darsanand Balgobin, at the District Council of Flacq.
On the same occasion, the Minister accompanied by other dignitaries, unveiled the inaugural plate of the Control Room at the District Council.
The Minister emphasised that the National GIS project which is being implemented under the I-Council project, is aligned with the philosophy of providing services in digital mode for the well-being of the Mauritian society. Mr. Balgobin expressed conviction that the initiative will add to the success of the country's digital agenda.
The I-Council project, stressed Mr. Balgobin, has now graduated to the next level where its constituting elements include the Council Project Management software, and the GIS platform, which have scaled up to become the e-National Project Management software and the National GIS Platform respectively.
According to him, the concretisation of the National GIS platform is a testimony of the innovative potential of our institutions and the various digital initiatives being put in place to build a digital island.
Mr.Balgobin explained that the e-National Project Management software provides for the comprehensive administration of institutions and is being operated across all departments covering the management of council projects from conception through procurement, approval of committees, awarding of contracts, following up of projects, job scheduling, budget monitoring to payment processes.
As for the National GIS platform, he informed that it has been put in place by the National Computer Board and provides for tagging of assets including roads, drains, poles, buildings, sports complexes and others of District Councils, Municipalities, the Land Drainage Authority, and the Road Development Authority, which can be viewed as different mapping layers.
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Reports, complaints and proposals can be uploaded on the system for the relevant authorities to take actions on tagged items or provide a response to queries and updates on the status of assets from the e-National Project Management system are fed into the National GIS system, he added.
Minister Balgobin further stated that the e-National Project Management software can potentially be interfaced with other platforms to provide for a fully integrated system for public infrastructure administration and announced that these platforms already implemented in six Local Authorities will be deployed in the other Local Authorities by March 2023.
On that note, he urged other Local authorities and Government agencies to avail of all the digital facilities to pursue on the digitalisation agenda so as to ease the lives of citizens and businesses, and open the way for a smart Mauritius.
