Trini Post

From as early as next week, the newly implemented ttconnect mobile service will allow T&T citizens to use their cellular phones and the SMS text messaging service to receive traffic updates as well as other important news about the Fifth Summit of the Americas. Public Administration Minister, Kennedy Swaratsingh, made the announcement last Tuesday as he delivered the feature address during the official launch of the ttconnect suite of services at the Chaguanas Service Centre located at Gaston Street, Chaguanas.

Swaratsingh said users of the ttconnect mobile service would be charged a small fee. He said that in time the service will be expanded to grant members of the public access to a wider range of Government services. “By July 2009, the public will be able to access more ttconnect services using their mobile phones such as subscribing for state news and weather bulletins,” Swaratsingh said. He said that the entire ttconnect service comprises the ttconnect service centres, ttconnect Self serve, ttconnect Online, ttconnect Hotline and the ttconnect Mobile all of which will help to improve the image of the public service and improve customer service delivery.

There are six ttconnect service centres in operation at St James, Princes Town, Chaguanas, Arima, Tunapuna and Bon Accord, Tobago, and five self serve kiosks located at the Piarco International Airport, Hi-Lo Foods Stores, Point Fortin, Trincity Mall and the Gulf City Malls in La Romaine and Tobago. Through the services, citizens may apply for a wide range of services including their first electronic birth certificate, home improvement grants, admission into the OJT, MUST and other training programmes and in the near future the issuance of provisional permits and applications for passports, and student visas.

“Such a multi-modal programme of access will help in directly addressing citizens major concerns of choice, convenience, accessibility, timeliness efficiency and satisfaction with Government’s current levels of service delivery. “For the various ministries and agencies, the decongesting of their respective departments is expected to act as motivation and assist in efforts toward the better alignment of services to customer needs,” Swaratsingh said.

By: CORI BAYNES of Guardian

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