Blockchain in Government

The hype of distributed ledger technology keeps growing day by day, and government authorities have started to notice it. Far-reaching acceptance of the blockchain technology remains a long on the road and it is aiding to solve plenty of challenges in the public sector. To build trust, governments strive to be interoperable, distributed as well as open to all and the blockchain technology is a significant system for all these. Experts are visualizing that the decentralized ledgers are generating a future of government that is completely document-less, transparent, decentralized and auditable.

The blockchain government market size is predictable to raise from USD 162.0 million in the current year 2018 to USD 3,458.8 million by the end of 2023, at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 84.5% throughout the forecast period.

The blockchain government market is compelled by plenty of aspects, like the increasing attention in the acceptance of distributed ledger technology by government agencies and growing cases of fake activities in the public segment. Though, the absence of a shared set of controlling standards, undefined controlling landscape, an absence of attention and technical knowledge about the blockchain can delay the growth of marketplace.

The decentralized technology offers,

  • A different approach to improve openness and collaboration among governments, enterprises as well as citizens.
  • By recording assets and storing ownership variations on a blockchain ledger, the mission of transparent systems and right to privacy can be achievable.
  • Significant data can be shared broadly with any security issues.
  • Transactions can be authenticated in real time.
  • As it is combined with the wide use of privacy amenities, it is very tough for fraudulent activities to take place.
  • Smart contracts which are once authorized and deployed will perform always.
  • To be dependent on a physical contract becomes a thing of past.

Blockchain and Voting

The blockchain technology grabs its power from the nodes on its network to authenticate, process, and store every transaction across the system. This ledger is never recorded, but instead be present on the “chain” sustained by millions of nodes all together. The blockchain’s database of the transaction is not corruptible and every record is simply verifiable; all credit goes to encryption and decentralization. A single party cannot be able to influence the network as it does not exist in one place.

A voting application that is based on the blockchain technology does not concern with the security of its internet connection, as any hacker having accessibility to the terminal would not be able to influence other nodes. Voters can efficiently submit their choice without declaring their identity or political likings to the public. Executives can count votes with confidence by knowing that each person is qualified to only one vote. So there is no option for fakes and no space for duplication.

  • Sierra leone is the first nation with the blockchain confirmed electronic voting in the current year 2018.
  • Russia tested the distributed ledger technology to shelter 2018 presidential exit poll data.

Blockchain for Vehicle Registration

Vehicle registration has been a difficult process all the time. It is a time-consuming procedure where more than one parties are engaged and also generates a risk of data manipulation, data duplication and countless errors. In such situation, sensitive data can get extremely susceptible to scams and data interfering or even turn into non-traceable.

By considering blockchain technology and shifting complete vehicle registration procedures on the blockchain, many of these hurdles can easily be solved. Blockchain helps by decreasing the average turnaround time. It will empower different parties to shift data in a smart contract that ultimately converts in a single source of unassailable data to multiple parties.

Not only this, the distributed ledger technology in vehicle registration environment, will aid in reducing the risk of fraudulent activities, as data updates are feasible only by authorized people with the use of a private key. In fact, any disturbance of data can also be simply traced on Blockchain. The key factor is, this decentralized system will offer a single and easy observation of the vehicle lifecycle which is not existing nowadays.

Blockchain in licensing & Identification

From birth certificates to driving licenses and passports, everything is paper-based. Many of them especially older ones such as birth certificate are usually hard to store at one place and obtain it back when a need arise. Loss of the physical document itself is frequently very time taking process.

A blockchain based identity empowers people to have the same assurance without the need for embarrassing paper-based documents, online registration and numerous data entries. At the same time, the smart contract let them access sufficient information to confirm identity with high security and reliability of personal data.

But the possible benefits don’t end here. Once the blockchain technology takes the responsibility of citizen identity, it can be completely possible to visualize a world in which citizens can form, manage and sustain a complete as well as reliable audit tracking of their whole life journey; from birth to death and can bring it with them on their smart device. If a citizen decides on, everything from registration of birth to travel history, educational documents and employment records can be stored to a blockchain, making a safe, complete and easily available digital identity which they can manage throughout their lives.

Blockchain in VAT

The economy can be categorized in plenty of ways, and VAT (Value-added-technology) inadequacy take place in each category for many reasons that may contain business failure. There are several information technologies to aid in reducing VAT insufficiency, such as machine learning, quantum analogue computing, super digital computers, as well as blockchain technology. The challenge is for governments to apply and get benefited with these technologies faster than crime groups can use them.

The blockchain technology decreases an administrative load forced on companies and other businesses to collect and pay VAT. It also rises transparency of real-time transactions and helps in making potentialities to evaluate credit risk more precisely, decreasing losses generated by failure. The distributed technology deliver data to lenders that provide finance to SMEs, containing credit factoring. It enables smart contract among treasuries and commerce maturity level.

Blockchain in Copyrights

The absence of transparency and centralization of a database that systematizes data about different copyrightable objects has formed substantial problems when trying to identify the right owner to arrange succeeding usage of such objects. Right owners can’t efficiently manage usage of their works on the Internet.

The potentiality with a usage of electronic money as a mean of inexpensive and suitable micropayment instrument unsuccessful because of the absence of true global electronic money payment systems.

The blockchain technology may significantly boost visibility and availability of data about copyright ownership. Engagement of such technology may change current awkward analog methodologies of verifying authorship of copyrighted works, like registration with domestic copyright government consultants (i.e. registration of software in Patent headquarters) or collective societies or even sending a letter by the author covering the work to himself to make a post stamp with the fixed date. – All this has turned out to be out-of-date and pointless.

A transformation that blockchain delivers is in the level of trust and potential scalability.

Summing Up

– Dubai is visualizing to situate all its government documents on the blockchain by the end of 2020.

– GoveCoin is a UK based company that is helping the government to distribute public benefits using the blockchain technology.

The blockchain technology gives surety for those government groups that are expecting improved methodologies to handle and defend trusted information. It delivers an alluring path to more effective processes, more responsive amenities as well as improved data security.