In a joint press conference of Wednesday, April 3rd, the Anguilla Social Security and the Internal Revenue Department shared their excitement concerning the acquisition of new and innovative software supplied by Bearing Point Caribbean, based in Curacao.
With the Anguilla Social Security Board now on the verge of its strategic transformational iniative, it is expected that the utilization of digital technology will provide the kind of cutting-edge systems and services soon to be available.
It is also hoped that the kind of changes that the new software will bring to the Internal Revenue Department will enhance its services to the public and create ease for those using it to serve to the customers’ needs.
Director of Social Security, Mr. Timothy Hodge, as well as Controller of Inland Revenue Department, Mr. Kiel Connor, spoke extensively an overview of their organizations’ new connection with Bearing Point and their embarkation on the innovative technology.
Mr. Hodge commented: “We are very excited that both the Social Security and the Internal Revenue Department have in quick succession selected Bearing Point for providing IT systems for our software. This change over will certainly take our operations progressively forward. We are pleased that this day has come. It has been a long procurement process.
“Both the Inland Revenue Department and the Social Security Board evaluated the bids that we had received, independently of one another, and both of us came up with Bearing Point as our software provider.”
Speaking for the Internal Revenue Department, Controller Mr. Connor noted: “The matter of new software has been our concern at Inland Revenue for the past two years. Our focus is revenue collection, customer service, and improving efficiency. Like Social Security, we too have recently implemented a new strategic plan. As part of that plan, revenue strengthening, customer service and compliance are the points of our focus. We at Inland Revenue have deemed it necessary to use a particular system of software in order to achieve these objectives.
“I would like to thank the FCO office and by extension the Anguilla program for funding our project. Working with Social Security is going to be very important for us. We administer similar ‘taxes’ and ‘contributions’, so we think it is necessary for us to find ways to work together.
“From the systems standpoint, we will be upgrading in phases, in terms of the implementation process. We are now finalizing the high level plan, and we intend to ‘go-live’ in January of 2020. Our next ‘go-live’ phase would be in January of 2021.
“With regards to Social Security’s role in joining with IRD, in time we intend to have the systems integrated where we will be able to share information where both entities can improve on compliance and efficiency.”
Mr. Connor thanked Mr. Vaughn Hazell, Director of DITES in the Government of Anguilla, as well as his team at the IT Department for the level of support that has been forthcoming in the past. He expressed his anticipation in working together in the future with DITES on the Bearing Point’s new software.
Managing Director of Bearing Point Caribbean, Mr. Avinash Grootens, made remarks on the new software initiative: “We have been working with small island developing states around the world for the past twenty-five years. We have a large local presence in the Caribbean with our headquarters being in Curacao, but we also have branches in Bonaire, and Aruba, as well as nearby St. Maarten.
“We are very pleased to be working at this time with Anguilla, both with the Inland Revenue Department and with the Social Security Board. There is a lot of synergy between these two organizations which has the potential for leading to greater efficiency, and much better service to the public.”
Both Social Security’s ICT Manager, Mr. Romero Kelsick and Mr. Vaughn Hazell, of the Government’s DITES Unit, were on hand to comment on their enthusiasm in anticipating the implementation of the new multi-faceted software.
Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
