On Monday, April 11th, the Anguilla Social Security Board introduced a new digital online portal and Multi-Benefit Solutions system by which the entity will serve its clients going forward. The new online portal system was developed and commissioned by Bearing Point Caribbean, a technological firm in Curacao, with the involvement of Social Security’s IT team.
Acting Director of Social Security, Dr. Maglan Lewis, remarked: “Today we are here to launch our new Social Security Multi-Benefit Solution, a social insurance administrative system provided by Bearing Point Caribbean. This project has been ongoing since 2019 with our own local ICT staff, as a counterpart, along with the management and staff. We have taken ownership for the success of this initiative – putting Social Security in the customers’ hands.
She commented on it being a historic day for Social Security, considering the fact that the new online portal was rolled out at the time when Social Security celebrates 40 years. “Social Security is now here for you digitally. Indeed, the new revolution is here,” Dr. Lewis said.
The former Social Security Director, Mr. Timothy Hodge, welcomed the gathering. He noted that, in a sense, the introduction of the new portal was like a birthing experience for Social Security, especially given that it came to fruition on Social Security’s 40th anniversary.
He noted that birthdays are new beginnings. “This is like a birthday for Social Security,” he said. “And birthdays are new beginnings. This opportunity marks a new beginning – a digital way of providing 21st century customer service to the people of Anguilla.”
In turning attention to the work provided by Bearing Point, Mr. Hodge said. “Things like this just don’t happen. So I want to thank Bearing Point and the IT Unit of Social Security for the kind of work they have put in to get us to the launching of this portal today.”
Mrs. Jacqueline Bryan-Niles, Chairperson of the Social Security Board, spoke on the benefits of the new portal for the smoother operations of the Social Security Board: “The go-live launch of our portal is one of the significant milestones in our forty-year celebration,” she said. “This is the first phase of the new Social Security administrative system [for employers and the self – employed], and it primarily deals with registration, contribution filing and cash register.
“In keeping with the upward trend of businesses in the new era of technological advancement, it was imperative for the Anguilla Social Security Board to quickly evolve and engage in various initiatives of organisation transformation to ensure that the needs of the various stakeholders were met in an efficient and effective manner.
“This new system definitely forms part of the transformation process, as the office has been using a very old system which did not fully meet the needs and expectations of our customers. Hence, this upgrade to our business tools is long overdue. Having the tools in place means having smoother operations that would lead to greater productivity.”
Representative for Bearing Point Caribbean, and Multi-Benefit Solutions – Product Owner, Mrs. Michella Weverink, spoke concerning her impressions of the new portal:
“Today I am humbled and extremely honoured to be here with you all to kick off this new and exciting venture of the Social Security online portal. It has been a long time coming. We started work on the portal in April of 2019, about three years now.
“Back then, our team of experienced consultants were roaming around here, involving themselves in meetings and analysis sessions, in order to gain the knowledge we needed to configure a system that would suit Social Security’s needs.”
She said that the Social Security Board took the project head-on with commitment and professionalism, knowing that Multi-Benefit Solutions would not only provide an IT system, but an enterprise system with a central command that would automate and support Social Security’s operation at its core, while catering to their most important asset, the customer.
Mrs. Weverink continued: “On behalf of the entire Bearing Point Company, I would like to say that I am extremely proud and grateful that the Social Security Board had chosen us to help it leap forward into the future, by moving away from manual to automated processing, through a smart customer portal. As of today, the Social Security Board will be available to employers and self-employed persons to guide them through this new automated system.”
Mrs. Weverink stated that Bearing Point have been active in the Social Security domain for over thirty years – catering to small island developing states especially in the Dutch Caribbean.
She reported that they have also being doing work with the Inland Revenue Department. “We can now safely say that the whole of Anguilla has taken a remarkable leap in improving the efficiency of the governmental operations, and the island is now years ahead of the other English Caribbean islands,” she said.
