THE Ministry of Local Government says that next year it will become mandatory for local authorities and major commenting agencies to process all building and development applications through the Application Management and Data Automation (AMANDA) System.

The AMANDA is a web-based application management system which is aimed at providing greater transparency in the approval process.

Using the system, applicants for building and development permits will be able to monitor and track the progress of their applications as they are reviewed by multiple agencies and pass through the various stages of the approval process.

According to Government’s information arm, the Jamaica Information Service, the system is being implemented with support from the Cabinet, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and other key stakeholders.

Details of the new arrangement was provided by chair of the Public Sector Transformation Steering Committee Patricia Francis at a recent Jamaica House media briefing to discuss achievements under the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme.

Francis said the local government ministry has implemented the AMANDA system in all local authorities and major agencies.

“The result of all of this, in the future, is that we will be able to actually view the whole process of business applications online, see where it is at any point in time, and be able to hold people to the time frames which they have said they will deliver on,” she said.

Francis added that the ministry was in the process of training people within the parish councils to use the system.

“Having installed the equipment, we now have to build the capacity of the people in the agencies to actually use the equipment,” said Francis.