Reducing bottlenecks, streamlining approval timelines and improving the ease of doing business remain key priorities for the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, which has introduced further reforms to the development approval process alongside the launch of four new e-services on the DevelopTT platform.
Following Cabinet’s decision to remove County Medical Officers of Health (CMOH) from the approval process, Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Dr Kennedy Swaratsingh noted that the Government is addressing one of the key bottlenecks affecting the ease of doing business.
“The cost to businesses and to development activity for inordinate delay in getting things approved has been significant. Both the EMA and the Town and Country fall under the remit of Planning but also, of course, the Local Government agencies. So we have to do better. These platforms will help us to do that.”
Minister Swaratsingh acknowledged that the delays have come at a significant cost to businesses and development activity.
He said the Government now wants to identify where applications are being held up, with agencies expected to meet agreed processing timelines.
“Because when you send in an application, almost as if you’re sending in one application when it goes to multiple agencies, you all are concerned about which agency the bottleneck resides in. Our role has to be to dislodge those bottlenecks and to give you a response in an agreed time. Because once you send an application, the contractual obligation is that if we say it’s going to take 30 days, you expect a response in 30 days. It mustn’t be 90 days.”
The comments came as four new e-services were introduced on the DevelopTT platform, expanding the digital application process to include advertisements, car rental facilities, mining operations and development variation requests.
CrimsonLogic Regional Director Naveen Bhat says DevelopTT forms part of the Government’s wider push to modernise public services.
“The government has articulated an ambitious vision for national development, modernisation and economic transformation supported by improved public sector efficiency and stronger digital services. DevelopTT contributes directly to that vision by simplifying regulatory processes, improving accessibility, enhancing transparency and enabling a more responsive and citizen-centric public service. Importantly, platforms such as DevelopTT and TTBizLink are about more than digitisation.”
As the government focuses on improving the approval process, the new services allow applicants to submit documents online, track applications and receive digitally generated decision letters, while inspectors can upload site visit information in real time.