MyGov app provides 1,901 govt services

Taqi Yasir Rahman serves at a private company which imports equipment for radio and other machinery. Clearance from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is mandatory for the import of radio equipment.

Previously, he had to go to the BTRC office to submit application for the clearance. Now, he is getting the BTRC clearance staying at home as he can submit the application through the “MyGov” app.

Terming the MyGov app ‘very user-friendly’, Yasir said, “It is very easy to select various options and upload information through the app while submitting application to the BTRC. Once the application is submitted, the client will get an SMS. He will get another SMS confirming that the application has been granted. The clearance letter will be sent via email.”

Yasir who has been using the MyGov app since March 2019 gets 70-80 clearances from BTRC every year.

Hundreds of government services are now at the fingertips of the country’s citizens through MyGov app or website.

Already more than 22 lakh citizens of the country have received various government services using this app that currently provides 1,901 types of government services. By the end of this year, the app targets to provide 6,285 government services. Even the expatriate Bangladeshis can receive government services applying through this app.

A wide range of government services including registration and license, non-objection certificate and permission, certification, grant, loan, education, agriculture, land and lease, law and order, training, finance and banking, are now being provided through this app. As a result, the hassle of seeking the service in person going to various government offices has reduced a lot.

With an aim to deliver all kinds of government services at people’s doorsteps, the government initiated to change the administrative system radically, digitising the service providing process.

The work of digitising various government services started in 2015 under the guidance of Aspire to Innovate (a2i) programme of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division. In 2019, the website “Ekseba” was launched with the slogan “Contribution of Digital Bangladesh, all solutions in one address”.

Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the “Amar Sarkar” or “MyGov” app in January 2020 to ease the process of providing government services. So far, 29 ministries have been linked to the app, developed at a cost of Tk 4.69 crore, digitising 1,901 services under seven categories.

Apart from this, 1,389 government services have been integrated into the apps, and 11,547 government offices are connected to MyGov.

So far, around 34.13 lakh citizens have registered with the MyGov app or website, and more than 23.70 lakh applications seeking various government services have been submitted. Among those, more than 22 lakh applications have been settled, according to a press statement.

All government and essential private services will be connected to this app gradually.

Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir, project director of Aspire to Innovate (a2i) and also a joint secretary, said, “The MyGov has been launched with the aim of bringing all government services onto one platform. Submission of job applications and documents, payment of the application fee, and update on the applications can be found in the app.”

“Under the platform’s Rapid Digitisation, 1,901 services have already been digitised. Besides, more government-private partnership services will be added to the app soon,” he added.

“Our goal is to digitise 85 per cent of a total of 7,395 government services by 2023,” he added.