E. Jay Saunders, Minister for eGovernment, said the data confirms what officials have long understood about the local economy.
“This validates what we’ve known for a long time, that the Turks and Caicos Islands imports most items,” Saunders said.
As of March 4, 1,216 users had completed 2,109 transactions worth $1.6 million in taxes and fees through the platform. Early reports showed the system processed nearly $1 million in its first week.
Saunders said the high volume of Border Force payments is prompting the government to consider ministry-specific applications to streamline payments and services in departments with heavy transaction activity.
Early usage trends also show that many users pay multiple government receipts in a single session, with Import Duties emerging as the most common transaction item. Saunders says these insights will guide future improvements to the ePay platform.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Saunders outlined plans to expand ePay into a “Super App” that integrates all government services, making it easier for residents and businesses to access services without visiting government offices.
Over the next few months, additional enhancements are expected. Saunders said:
“We will add a Quick Pay option to allow persons to pay a receipt without having to sign up for an ePay account, the ability to pay multiple receipts in one transaction, TCIG Payment Kiosks that accept both cash and card payments, and multi-language support.”
He added that outreach efforts will now focus on residents in the family islands, particularly Salt Cay, South Caicos, Middle Caicos, and North Caicos, as well as senior citizens and persons with disabilities, including those with vision challenges. Suggestions also include targeted registration drives, animated tutorials to demonstrate app use, free WiFi at Treasury branches and high-volume government offices, increased branding efforts, and ePay training for customer service staff to drive uptake.
“The payment kiosks will be a big hit, as many in our communities still use cash as their primary payment method,” Saunders said.
The effort builds on the government’s “Click. Don’t Queue.” initiative, aimed at reducing in-person visits and improving digital access to public services.
“Everything we learn while digitizing government services will help improve offerings across all ministries,” Saunders said.