Gov’t unveils new online platform to cut back bureaucracy
Puerto Rico government officials announced the launch of the “Identificación Electrónica de Acceso en Línea” platform, known as IDEAL, an online tool that connects public agencies, vowing to eliminate bureaucracy and streamlining processes that citizens and businesses get when submitting applications for certifications, services, contracts and permits.
During a news conference, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said IDEAL, which is part of the government’s public policy related to technology passed in February 2021, removes the responsibility from the individual of “going from agency to agency seeking certifications that the government already has in its possession, by consolidating and digitizing the documents.”
“The IDEAL interoperability application eliminates administrative obstacles once and for all, since the government won’t ask the citizen for documents that it has at the time the transaction,” the governor said.
In its initial phase of implementation, IDEAL will connect the Treasury Department, the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP, in Spanish), the Child Support Administration, the Labor Department, the Police Bureau, the State Insurance Fund Corp. (CFSE, in Spanish), the Municipal Revenues Collection Center, the State Department and the General Services Administration, said the government’s Chief Innovation and Information Officer, Enrique Völckers-Nin.
“IDEAL is a tool that Puerto Rico government agency employees will use to provide a world-class service to people, under strict cybersecurity measures and promoting a digital, agile, immediate government operation that centralizes people’s data,” said Völckers-Nin, who also directs the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service office.
“It’s a project that improves the services the people receive, and facilitates and streamlines the work of public workers, while positioning the island in a competitive place in the digital age,” he said.
Through the new digital platform, when users need to complete a procedure at a public agency, they will not have to search for individual certificates. By providing their full name, Social Security number, date of birth, license or Puerto Rico identification number, a Merchant’s Registration number (if applicable), telephone number or email, they can authorize their search in the IDEAL system, to which the government agency employee will have access to.
Meanwhile, businesses that want to authorize the search for certifications and services in IDEAL must present the company’s name as registered in the State Department, Employer Social Security number, Merchant’s Registration number (if applicable), State Department registration number, class, type and jurisdiction of the company as registered in the State Department, and a telephone number or email where they will receive a link to authorize the search on the digital platform.
