Bangkok: The government is moving forward with the "no need for document copies" policy for official transactions, linking data from 58 different sectors via GDX. The goal is to reduce the burden on citizens and upgrade digital government services within one year.

According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Lalida Periswiwatana, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government is promoting the "no-document request from citizens" approach for 58 important documents through the Government Data Exchange (GDX) center. This initiative will allow government agencies to verify and use information among themselves instead of requesting copies of documents from citizens.

The proposal includes commonly used documents such as national identity cards, household registration certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, land and building ownership documents, corporate registration certificates, and driver's licenses. The government aims to link all data within one year from the date of the Cabinet resolution.

Ms. Lalida explained that the process will be divided into two phases. For the 31 documents already ready for GDX, relevant agencies must expedite the data linkage and use the information to replace document requests from the public within 6 months to 1 year. For the remaining 27 documents not yet ready for GDX, the linkage will be completed within 1 year.

The government is also directing the Digital Government Development Agency and the Ministry of Interior, through the Department of Provincial Administration, to speed up the integration of GDX with the Linkage Center system. This will enable government agencies to access civil registration data through a single channel, reducing redundancy and confusion in data linkage between agencies.

To implement the measures, 163 government agencies will assess their readiness, review relevant laws, regulations, and practices, and instruct service points to use digital systems for information verification instead of requiring documents from citizens. Furthermore, the public will be clearly informed of the measures.

If any agency still requests documents that can be linked to data, the Office of the Civil Service Commission will coordinate the correction within 15 days and continue to follow up. Failure to comply within the specified timeframe may impact the performance evaluation of the head of the government agency. Non-compliance with laws or Cabinet resolutions without reasonable cause may result in disciplinary action under relevant laws.

Ms. Lalida emphasized that citizens should not have to carry copies of documents that the government already has access to. Linking data across government agencies will reduce time, costs, and bureaucratic procedures, while making government services more convenient and digital.

This data linking must be carried out under government standard guidelines, considering cybersecurity and the protection of personal data, to provide citizens with more convenient, faster, and safer services.