Government departments and agencies around the world are under pressure to become more efficient by incorporating digital technologies and processes into their day-to-day operations.

The launch on May 9 of the e-certificate app by the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development Thoko Didiza in partnership with the embassy of the Netherlands is a step in the right direction towards the digitisation of government services in SA. The e-certificate is an online platform created to receive, verify, process and deliver certification documentation to trading partners involved in the export of agricultural products.

The export process for agricultural products requires phytosanitary certification by the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development's National Plant Protection Organisation. This process includes attestation by competent inspectors and represents guarantees to the importing country’s authorities.

A phytosanitary certificate accompanies a consignment to the port of entry of the importing country. The SA export process requires routine daily issuing of a large number of phytosanitary certificates. The introduction of e-certification by the department enhanced the capacity of phytosanitary inspectors by freeing up a significant amount of time they spent on issuing paper-based certificates.

The digitisation of certification services brings efficiency to the certification process, eliminates fraudulent activities through certificate traceability, helps eliminate the problem of lost documents, minimises human error in paperwork and reduces the environmental impact by lowering paper use.

Digital technology allows access to services at lower costs. It also provides convenience as well as customised or personalised services. Furthermore, consumers benefit by getting services quicker because of fewer intermediaries involved. Minister Didiza and her department should be commended for their innovativeness and foresight.

Ndivhuwo Thenga, email