HMRC’s Blockchain PoC In Need Of Experts In The UK, Reports

By Kapil Gauhar

Richard Mander, head of Platform Architecture at HMRC, has shared points of interest of the division’s blockchain PoC (Proof of Concept). While he referred to the potential advantages as being significant, hiring and keeping up experienced staff has been an issue.

Talking on the Govtech stage on Wednesday in London at Blockchain Live 2018, Mander examined precisely what stage HMRC is at with its PoC, including that discovering individuals with the correct learning and range of abilities to do this is turning into an issue. They would like to grow the undertaking to have the second node soon but need to build the expertise of their group initially to make this a less demanding assignment.

The PoC

HMRC have been giving a trial to the blockchain project as a way of increasing efficiency of cross-government data sharing. Presently, the government model for traders in the UK needs them to register with various offices which carry out some arduous checks before they can get the authorisation. In spite of the checks being the same or similar in content, the government doesn’t have a protected way of sharing the data with one another; henceforth all the departments are needed to wasteful carry out the same checks.

Mander explained that in case the potential trader needs a particular license to sell or purchase their goods, then this can add more departments like that of international trade or agriculture which are needed to start these checks consuming operation for all the parties.

“If we maintained a ledger of all those checks, the outcome would be recorded and could be shared securely and instantly, a huge efficiency benefit for HMRC,” he told the audience.

Stepping Ahead

However, it has made some arrangement issues inside the government, including the issue that the department’s security premises depend on a single entity information guardianship. A shared, multi-node atmosphere means this has to be changed fundamentally.

“We proved potential value, but at a technology level, there are questions we can’t answer without broader engagement with policymakers,” Mander concluded.