The City of Vancouver is spearheading the use of digital credentials in a bid to reduce the need for manual verification steps with regard to permitting and licencing services.
This work would see digital creds used to fill out forms with trusted information, eliminating the need for manual verification, in turn saving staff time and thus delivering services faster, according to Ken Sim, the city’s mayor.
“We’re proud to be leading the development of digital credentials along with our provincial partners,” stated Sim. “Digital credentials represent a transformative shift, reshaping the way we do business and paving the way towards a smarter, more connected city.”
Digital credentials are issued by recognized authorities to the province’s official BC Wallet. All information is encrypted and secure, allowing organizations that accept digital credentials to trust their legitimacy without contacting the issuing authority
“It’s about modernizing City services to make it easier for businesses, homeowners and permit applicants,” Sim says.
In December 2023, the Province initiated the Digital Business Card, a pilot program for sole proprietorships. The City of Vancouver became the first municipal government to accept this credential, allowing applicants to use it when filling out applications for new business licences and as proof of business ownership.
The current digitization effort is being conducted in collaboration with Technical Safety BC, the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC, and the Ministry of Citizens’ Services.
“LTSA is committed to working with partners such as the City of Vancouver to ensure the accessibility and security of land title information,” stated Al-Karim Kara, CEO of LTSA. “Through innovative solutions like Digital Credentials, we can achieve our vision of a real property market that is trusted and transparent.”
Work is underway to further explore applications of similar digital credential technology, Sim says, including Digital Business Licences and Digital Home-Owner Credentials.
Similar digitization-focused efforts have been made by other municipalities, as well as the Province, to address issues such as the region’s housing crisis.
Leave a Reply