Government launches bulk scanning project to modernise social security services

As part of efforts to digitalise and modernise the management of beneficiary records, the “Bulk Scanning of Beneficiary Files” project was officially launched this morning at the Filing Section of the Benefits Branch at the Rose Hill Social Security Office, in the presence of the Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mr Ashok Kumar Subron, and the Junior Minister, Mr Kuvalayen Kugan Parapen.

The project aims at enhancing the processing of social benefits through a more efficient digital storage and retrieval system and forms part of the Ministry’s broader objective to improve service delivery to beneficiaries, particularly vulnerable groups including senior citizens, persons with disabilities and individuals requiring social assistance.

In his address, Minister Subron highlighted the challenging conditions under which Social Security officers have been working for years, owing to the accumulation of physical files and the steadily increasing number of beneficiaries. He pointed out that approximately 800,000 payments are processed for some 350,000 beneficiaries, thus making digitalisation a necessity to ensure more efficient and humane public service delivery.

The Minister further emphasised that the project represents one of the largest digitalisation exercises undertaken by the Ministry and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to allocating the necessary resources for its successful implementation. He also commended the dedication of Social Security officers and all stakeholders involved in the project.

For his part, Junior Minister Parapen described the launch as a historical milestone for both the Ministry and the country, noting that despite decades of operation, the Ministry had continued functioning largely through physical documentation. He expressed satisfaction that the digitalisation project would significantly improve efficiency, facilitate easier access to beneficiary records and enhance the quality of services provided to the public.

The Junior Minister also highlighted that the project would ease the workload of officers who have long faced challenges linked to the management and retrieval of millions of files. He reiterated that the digitalisation of the Ministry of Social Security remains one of the major priorities of the current mandate.

The launch follows a surprise visit carried out by Minister Subron and Junior Minister Parapen at the Rose Hill Social Security Office in January last year, during which issues relating to lack of storage space and the handling of physical files were observed. During today’s event, it was highlighted that approximately 10.5 million files are expected to be scanned and integrated into the Ministry’s digital system over a period of 18 months.

27 May 2026

Email: gis@govmu.org

Website: https://gis.govmu.org

Mobile App: GIS News

Topics: Social Security, Information Technology