The Memorandum of Understanding marks the first step towards the future collaboration between the two entities in order to create a framework for the establishment of a digital platform in the province. This digital platform would support the implementation of blockchain technology in government operations and would ensure that citizens are able to access fast and secure government services.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Bataan Governor Joet Garcia and nChain AG Chairman Stefan Matthews, and it is pursuant to Republic Act No. 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.
By leveraging its intellectual property rights portfolio, nChain aims to provide the PGB with advice and blockchain-based solutions for the digitisation of state services, products, and processes. The main aim of this endeavour is to digitise various branches and agencies of the state in order to make sure that the citizens of Bataan will be able to access better services and government products.
nChain officials have revealed in the company press release that government services that integrate blockchain technology become more secure, more transparent, and more accountable, as the technology provides a tamper-proof record of all transactions. The roll-out of this new technology is expected to occur in the following months.
According to a JRC Science for Policy report, all three main blockchain functionalities, namely notarization, shared database, and workflow automation can be useful for different operational capacities of governments and beneficial for interactions with citizens and businesses.
Blockchain implementations are predominantly based on open-source software. Some governments are pushing towards the publication of platform-agnostic open standards to minimise the risk of lock-in and to encourage the adoption of the service by third parties. The report also found that blockchain-based services that are already in operation respond to clear business needs.
Blockchain-based services promise a range of benefits to the ecosystem. The primary benefit drivers of blockchain technology in the public sector are process efficiency and the increased reliability of record-keeping, as they contribute to an increased trust in public institutions.
Blockchain technology could also improve the experience of citizens and businesses that interact with public authorities. For example, personal certificates and land title issuance and legally binding confirmations can be provided to the citizen automatically via a mobile app, without a need to visit a town hall.
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