A few weeks back my husband Rey and I went to Yinchuan in China upon the invitation of the city government to showcase the Smart City framework hosted by their Big Data Bureau Management (yes, their LGU has this department). Now on its third year, it is an annual conference wherein city mayors from all over the world, technology providers and players gather together to exchange ideas and perspectives and experience the thought leadership of some of the city mayors that have advanced their city’s infrastructure.

From a technology standpoint, Smart City refers to the concept of effectively utilizing advancements in technology, including Internet of Things (IoT), alongside the city’s assets, in order to serve its citizens more efficiently. The benefit is felt directly by the citizen, the government’s customer. The Yinchuan city government’s execution of such framework resulted in the reduction of processes from hundreds to less than 10, and equally a reduction of the number approvers to a minimum, as strong examples, among other things. As if coming straight out of a dream, a quick scan of the citizen’s National ID allows access to basic government services, such as visa issuance, utility payments and others.

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