Trinidad and Tobago reinforced its position as a leader in digital government this week, as the Government, through iGovTT, partnered with the global 50-in-5 initiative to host an international webinar titled “The Caribbean Catalyst: VerifyTT and the Next Generation of Public Services,” held Wednesday, July 22.
The webinar brought together government leaders, digital transformation experts, implementation partners and policymakers from around the world to explore how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is transforming the delivery of public services. According to organisers, the event positioned Trinidad and Tobago among a growing group of countries demonstrating how strong leadership, strategic partnerships and practical implementation can translate digital ambition into measurable public value.
At the heart of the discussion was VerifyTT, Trinidad and Tobago’s national digital credentials platform, which was showcased as a practical example of how Digital Public Infrastructure can make government services more secure, efficient and accessible while strengthening trust between citizens, institutions and employers.
As a member of the global 50-in-5 community, Trinidad and Tobago shared its implementation journey with other countries seeking to accelerate their own digital transformation efforts. Discussions centred on lessons learned in designing and deploying digital public infrastructure using open standards, Digital Public Goods and collaborative partnerships to deliver scalable, citizen-centred services.
Speakers noted that successful digital transformation extends far beyond technology alone. While open-source solutions can significantly reduce licensing costs, panelists stressed that long-term success depends on effective governance, institutional collaboration, implementation capacity and a shared vision for public service innovation.
Addressing the webinar, Senator the Honourable Dominic Smith, Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, outlined the Government’s strategic approach to digital transformation, framing the objective in practical, everyday terms.
“For the people of Trinidad and Tobago, our objective is an inclusive, more efficient government service experience,” Smith said. He explained that this means a citizen should be able to renew a document online without losing a day’s work, a business should be able to submit information once rather than carrying the same documents between government offices, an applicant should receive a clear digital status update, and a person seeking social support should be able to access assistance securely and with dignity.
Minister Smith added that for public officers, the benefits would include fewer manual workflows, less unnecessary paper handling, clearer lines of responsibility and better information for decision-making. For government as a whole, he said interoperability and shared digital infrastructure would reduce duplication, allowing ministries to build services on common national foundations rather than developing separate versions of the same basic capacity, saving public resources and accelerating delivery.
Also speaking on the panel, iGovTT Chairman Ms. Ria Karim emphasised that genuine success is measured by citizen demand rather than government-driven adoption.
“One of the clearest indicators of success is when demand begins to drive the programme forward, rather than government having to push adoption,” Karim said. “People do not embrace technology for its own sake, they embrace solutions that make their lives easier and address real, everyday challenges.”
Karim said digital transformation must always start with the problem rather than the technology. “The first question should never be, ‘What technology should we build?’ but rather, ‘What problem are we trying to solve, and who needs to work together to solve it?’ This citizen-centered approach ensures that innovation delivers meaningful impact and lasting value,” she said.
Organisers described the webinar as another milestone in Trinidad and Tobago’s digital transformation journey, underscoring the country’s commitment to advancing Digital Public Infrastructure as a foundation for more efficient, transparent and inclusive government while contributing practical knowledge to a global community working to accelerate digital public services for all.