In a significant move to accelerate adoption of digitalized public services and increase the number of persons with a unique ID that facilitates inclusive access to public services, the Government of Gabon and the World Bank has signed $68.5 million loan for the Digital Gabon Project.
The agreement was signed by Mays Mouissi, Gabon Minister of Economy and Participations, and Cheick Kante, World Bank Country Director for Gabon.
The operation focuses on creating the enabling environment to accelerate digital transformation, by enhancing legal, regulatory, and technological foundations for data protection, cybersecurity, and securing data exchange within the public sector. It will also help modernize legal identity (ID) systems, including the digitalization of the civil registration system and providing a unique ID that facilitates inclusive access to public services. By improving legal ID systems and making them easily accessible through a one-stop platform, Gabonese citizens will have better access to public services such as social protection, health insurance, public procurement, and human resource management information systems.
“The country has made considerable progress in high-speed broadband digital infrastructure. Moving forward, this operation will support the country’s digital transformation, which is critical to promote opportunities for all Gabonese citizens and residents. It will benefit individuals and businesses by improving the affordability, availability, and quality of public service delivery” says Cheick Kante, World Bank Country Director, Gabon.
The project aims to address persisting inequalities in access to public services, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups, including women and children, undocumented persons, the elderly, persons with disabilities, indigenous groups, displacement affected populations, and others.
