I heard a nice talk from the #AccountAggregator inauguration ceremony – important government officials stated that @RBI 's
Account Aggregator framework was #IncentiveAligned with citizens.
Account Aggregator framework was #IncentiveAligned with citizens.
I liked the term #IncentiveAligned. In the context of #AccountAggregators it meant that citizens wanted data privacy but also wanted their data present with the government to do something for them – their data empowering themselves.
This led to the concept of #DEPA or Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture – as an attempt to ensure that all #RegulatoryApplications and #IncentiveAligned with asks of citizens. Now, that is a great thing .....
But, it makes me wonder – when will other government services get #IncentiveAligned. Pilots of government buses wait endlessly for more passengers because they are incentivized on 'passengers ferried' and not on timeliness of service, safety of driving, following traffic rules
Police stations in India are incentivized on how squeaking clean is their record in terms of #LessFIRs (first information reports) – which is considered as an indicator of presence / absence of crime. So, police stations do not register FIRs – they just file police reports.
Police in India dissuade citizens from filing FIRs as it is considered as a blot on the record of their police station. Thus, not only does crime go unreported or under-reported, essential details are omitted because the police fear that they would be pulled up by their seniors.
The judicial system is not #IncentiveAligned with ensuring speedy justice, our transportations systems are not #IncentiveAligned with ensuring fast and safe transportation, hospitals are not #IncentiveAligned for safety of patients – the list is long.
Thus, I like it when a set of government functionaries talk about large new initiatives (Digital Public Good projects as they are called) being designed to be #IncentiveAligned with citizens
And this is not hubris. I worked to create a #GSP or GST Suvidha Provider – a link to #GSTN APIs and saw the concept of being #IncentiveAligned being implemented first-hand. There are many positives in how the tech part of indirect taxes is being designed.
So, the intent is there. The design of systems from the side of the Indian Government is getting better. But we have a really (really) long way to go in being truly #IncentiveAligned with citizens and to truly #MakeTaxesWork. I am a hopeful Indian.
