Asian governments become bolder with blockchain this year

Thailand could transform its voting process with blockchain. Source: MADAREE TOHLALA / AFP

EVERYONE agrees that blockchain has great potential, but it is a technology that companies find difficult to implement.

To guide the adoption, experts believe that governments should take the initiative and demonstrate how the blockchain actually offers transparency, efficiency and value.

In Asia, this is exactly what governments are doing.

According to reports, the divisions of the Thai and South Korean government have become the latest organizations to explore how the blockchain can reinvent existing processes.

In Thailand, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) has developed a blockchain electoral voting system. It uses a hybrid model that allows citizens without digital literacy to vote, while those who are comfortable with voting can use the digital system.

"Nectec has developed blockchain technology for electronic voting that can be applied to national, provincial or community elections, as well as corporate votes such as the board of directors.The goal is to reduce fraud and maintain integrity of data, "said Chalee Vorakulpipat, head of IT security at NECTEC, at a local publication.

The use of the system means that voters no longer need to travel to polling stations. Instead, they can exercise the right to vote simply with an internet connection to access the blockchain-based system.

Because the system transmits data directly to the election controller, the NECTEC blockchain-based system is expected to save time and make the process significantly cheaper. The labor costs associated with the crew of the polling stations and the safe transportation and counting of votes can be completely eliminated.

Although the system may not be ready for use in time for the next general election, it can certainly be implemented on a smaller scale, such as in a society, trust or meeting society and in municipalities and in the lower grades of the government.

South Korea, on the other hand, uses the blockchain to transform logistics.

The project "Integrated Emission Service for Demonstration of the Elimination Between Block Chained Container Ships" plans to reduce the disadvantage of current container transshipment companies and improve efficiency by making the sharing of information easier and more transparent.

According to a recent press release, the Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministry of Information and Communication) and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries have stated that they have set up an "integrated emission service based on a container dock" based on chains ".

Busan Port is the second largest transit port in the world and accounts for 16% of global transhipment volumes. This is why the government believes that the blockchain solution will really help turn logistics – for local and international businesses.

To be sure, Asian governments are not the only ones to explore how they can use blockchain to help turn businesses home, it's something almost every government is doing today.

For example, the customs department of Saudi Arabia is piloting one of IBM's customs monitoring solutions and, if successful, will implement the solution on a larger scale. Government departments in Australia, United States, United Kingdom and also in Nigeria are working on blockchain projects for various sectors.

In the coming year, it will appear that the adoption of blockchain will skyrocket, thanks to initiatives led by government agencies around the world.

Soumik Roy
| @soumikroy

Soumik Roy is a specialist in economics and technology. Help small and medium-sized business owners understand what is most important for their company's growth and success.

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