Sunday, October 19, 2025

Barbados: GovTech unveils first phase in streamlining public service

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By Government of Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (GIS) – Barbadians are getting their first glimpse of a major national effort to change the way the government delivers public services.

A key feature of this initial phase is the launch of a new website, alpha.gov.bb, which will eventually replace the government’s existing online presence, gov.bb. The new “alpha” site is designed as an early version where the government can test ideas and quickly gather feedback from citizens, learning what works before building full services.

“We need to move away from these big projects that take months or years to deliver, only for people to still have trouble using them,” explained Mark Boyce, CEO of GovTech Barbados. “The idea is to show citizens early progress, listen to what they say, and use that feedback to guide what we build next.”

The site will initially feature several service “entry points,” providing essential information such as who the service is for, how long it takes, what documents are required, and where to go.

“It may not sound like much, but having clear, accurate information on how to access a government service is the first step in getting anything done. Right now, that information is often hard to find, incomplete, or out of date,” Boyce noted.  

In the coming months, the government will begin deploying larger-scale service improvements, rolling out changes in a matter of weeks and using citizen feedback to guide future updates. GovTech will also create “citizen panels,” similar to focus groups, to better understand people’s needs and frustrations.

Another core part of GovTech’s work will be setting common standards across government services, so that no matter which department a person interacts with, the experience is intuitive and consistent.

“Because services are built by different departments with no consistent approach, they often look and behave differently. To citizens, it should feel as if they’re interacting with one government, not multiple separate entities,” Boyce added.  

Barbadians are encouraged to visit alpha.gov.bb to explore the new platform and help shape what comes next.

The post Barbados: GovTech unveils first phase in streamlining public service appeared first on Caribbean News Global.

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Short Ghad sings about near-death experience with ‘Reason’

When dancehall-reggae artiste Short Ghad was based in Sweden a few years ago, he experienced a stark betrayal at the hands of his close friends -- a stinging act of treachery that almost cost him his own life.

He chronicles that eye-opening betrayal in a song called Reason that has been making the rounds on mixtapes and on FM radio.

"When I was living in Sweden a few years ago, one of my so-called friends dem threatened my life. I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it and mi just write the song same time, singing 'one of my friend dem want mi gone', and the chorus just stuck inna mi head and ah just so the song come about," he said.

He released visuals with a touching narrative for Reason which have racked up over 101,000 views since its release.

The song is the title track of his soon-to-be-released EP. Other songs which will be included on the EP are Never Say Sorry and Feel Like.

"This EP will show off my overall artistic vision, these songs are gaining tremendous popularity on Tik Tok and on IG @shortgee__ with thousands of shares and videos from fans all over the world," the artiste, whose real name is Conrad Williams, said.

Short Ghad has emerged as a popular TikTok personality, amassing several thousand followers on the platform where he streams live and plays music from his catalogue and those of other artistes. He has been promoting his singles and performing at local events such as BoomBox Fridays and Weddy Weddy Wednesdays.

"I have been in the streets all of this week and the response has been phenomenal, mi shell Weddy Weddy the other day, many of the selectors dem at the weekly events ah give me a strength," he said.

Short Ghad hails from the parish of St Elizabeth and was originally known for being a DJ, making his rounds across Jamaica’s street dances and parties. He gained recognition in 2022 after releasing Feel Nice, the title song and lead single from his 2022 debut studio album.

Released on February 25, 2022, the 19-track album is a tribute to love, inspired by his personal experiences and surroundings. The album featured a mix of classical dancehall and reggae with popular songs like Sekkle, Right Type a Luv and Love Party.

The project generated significant buzz, particularly in Europe, eventually achieving the number one spot on the pre-order list on iTunes (Reggae) in Sweden and, since that time, has garnered significant streams on Spotify and Facebook. His music blends dancehall, Afrobeat and reggae, making him a notable emerging artiste in the European market.

Short Ghad has released a battery of new videos for projects such as Never Say Sorry, Reason and Clean Like over the last couple of months.

"I am making great strides in the music industry, 2025 has been a breakout year for me," he said.

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