An African proverb admonishes us that: “Every time the rhythm of the drum beats improvements, you should alter the dance motion appropriately.”
It is no extended privileged expertise that Facts and Conversation Know-how has launched the whole globe into what is now regarded as the e-globe-meaning electronic globe. Now Governments the entire world above are somersaulting to reinvent and re-engineer governance so as to be more efficient, economical and transparent in the provision of information, products and companies to their citizens electronically.
Luckily Ghana has now started off dancing to the tune of the technological audio since government has laid the foundation for e-governing administration by creating the federal government of Ghana web-site popularly referred to as Ghana Portal which is becoming managed by the Details Providers Section of the Ministry of Information in Accra. Govt has also set up the Ghana-India Kofi Anan IT Centre of Excellence and over all, Ghana has formulated an Data Communication Technologies framework for accelerated improvement, becoming spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications.
Yet, when it will come to the practicability, accessibility and usability of e-government services by citizens, Ghana continue to has some mountains to climb and some rivers and lagoons to wade by means of. It is against this backdrop that this writer deems it suitable to share the Singapore e-federal government practical experience with fellow Ghanaians. But, even just before shedding some light on e-federal government methods and implementations in Singapore, it may possibly be needed to explain what e-government is in the to start with spot.
On Saturday July 31 this 12 months, at the Johannesburg Airport in South Africa, this author arrived across a group of Ghanaians on their way to Zimbabwe to get portion in a book truthful in that place. Then in a chart with one of them, in which it was uncovered that I was on my way from Singapore in which I underwent a brief schooling course in e-federal government, my interlocutor exclaimed:
‘Eeeee-Federal government!’ “What is that animal, far too?” he practically shouted unconsciously.
As a issue of truth, my mate confessed that, he was hearing for the initial time the term e-federal government. Afterwards when we parted corporation and he went to Zimbabwe and I was airborne to Ghana, I started debating with my internal self: “If this gentleman, very well-educated, living in the money town of Accra, participating in an global event this kind of as a guide truthful, has not still read of the term e-federal government till then, then what transpires to the the vast majority of uneducated and a lot less lucky brothers and sisters dwelling in deprived rural communities of the state?
Simply because we are living in a entire world of Expertise Administration (KM) and Expertise Sharing, I are unable to assert to be an skilled in this discipline, but the small I know about e-federal government should be shared with some others for the reward of all who care to know for the improvement of mankind and to the glory of the Divine Intelligence or the 1st Giver of expertise alone.
The concern is: What is E-govt? The United Nations defines e-Governing administration as “Long term dedication by governing administration to boost the romance involving the personal citizen and the general public sector via increased, charge-effective and successful delivery of expert services, details and understanding.” It went even further to describe that there are five categories of measuring a country’s “e-gov” development in terms of Net Presence. This contains: Rising – Improved – Interactive – Transactional and Totally Integrated. All UN member states have been named upon and inspired to embark on this e-government undertaking and programme.
Accordingly the earth overall body has a way of examining the progress of each and every nation in this regard. Drastically in the UN Report for this yr on e-authorities globally, Singapore, a smaller Island Metropolis Condition of Land- Place of 697.1sq km with a populace of 4.185 million souls is sharing the 2nd placement with the mighty United States of The us with Canada easily sitting down on major of all.
How did Singapore make it to the best of e-governing administration league desk of the environment? What strategies and policies had been place in area when and how did that place realize this sort of a technological feat around and higher than the super powers of this planet of economic inequalities?
Computerisation
Singapore established off on its e-govt journey as far again as about 25 several years back. In 1981, Singapore embarked upon a computerization programme of the authorities equipment. It first set up a Nationwide Pc Board and National Computerisation Program. The Prepare was to be certain a systematic growth of regional IT industry Enhancement of IT manpower pool Civil Provider Computerisation Approach and the manufacturing of 850 IT Experts.
National IT Program
Just after the Computerisation programme, the Singapore government embarked on what was referred to as the National IT Strategy. The National IT System initiated what was recognized as the Beginnings of Computing Communications Convergence. It also constituted what was dubbed Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EDI), which was essentially aimed at bridging Government and marketplace. This program took location in 1986 that is 5 decades or so immediately after the Computerisation Programme.
IT 2000 Blueprint for Intelligence Island
This Blueprint strategy that also begun in excess of 5 a long time after the
Nationwide IT Prepare in 1992 was to result what was called Flagship Projects on the Singapore Island. It experienced the objectives to generate an digital community linking all libraries in that country secure infrastructure for e-commerce Skilled program for examining all creating ideas in the nation and earlier mentioned all to set up Singapore One particular, that is, to develop 1 network for absolutely everyone in Singapore. It was this method that shot Singapore up to the place of the world’s first nationwide broadband infrastructure nation in the e-planet.
Infocomm 2001
The following phase Singapore took, after attaining a nationwide broadband infrastructure, was to launch what was dubbed Infocomm 2001. This task was released in 12 months 2000 and aimed at developing Singapore into a vibrant and dynamic worldwide facts communication money, with a thriving and prosperous e-Economic climate, and a pervasive and “Infocomm-savvy” e-Society and entire telecom liberalisation in that state.
Linked Singapore
In 2003, Singapore government introduced the closing onslaughts on its e-authorities programme by establishing what was only acknowledged as Related Singapore. This tactic was to unleash the likely for the full realisation of all e-federal government options via the Information comm project of the country.
Briefly, the previous measures recognised in Singapore as the five (5) Nationwide Strategic ICT Designs give us an overview of the strategy Singapore adopted to develop into the 2nd e-Nation in the e-Planet these days driving Canada. The Singapore govt has a philosophy that: “No matter what companies that can be delivered electronically must be delivered electronically” Period of time.
A different African proverb reminds us that, “If your tormentor who is functioning just after you does not cease, you, as well, must not halt operating.” As very long as Ghana stays a building country, Ghanaians must not halt battling to establish and development.
In the initially element of this short article the definition of e-Governing administration according to the United Nations was delivered. Singapore federal government utilized the UN definition of e-Authorities as a information, but simplified it for straightforward knowing by everyday man or woman in the avenue.
According to Singapore, e-Federal government is the use of know-how to
enhance the obtain to and shipping and delivery of govt products and services to gain citizens and corporations. It pointed out that the beneficiaries of e- Government consist of the federal government alone, enterprises and the citizens of the state involved.
How did the Singapore Governing administration use technology to greatly enhance obtain to and delivery of govt information and services to the people today? E-Federal government Action System II (2003-2006) In purchase to realize its said aims the Singapore govt formulated an action strategy known as e-Federal government Action Program II for the calendar year 2003 to 2006.The vision of the Govt was to be a major e- Governing administration to much better provide the country in the electronic economy.
The aim of this Strategy was to guarantee “a Networked Federal government
that delivers obtainable, integrated, value-included e-services to our prospects and assists deliver citizens nearer collectively”. A slogan was developed consequently: e-Govt- Delighting Clients, Connecting Citizens.
What are some of the services that the Singapore Authorities supplies for its shoppers who are the citizens of the country? Even in advance of we contact on some of the expert services furnished online, shall we uncover out why Singapore government came to the realization that the beneficiaries of e-Govt incorporate Govt, organizations and citizens?
It is vital to be aware that inside the scope of e-Governing administration, there are various categories that suit into the wide definition of e-Authorities. For case in point, e-Govt constitutes: A Govt- to-Citizens (G2C) B- Federal government-to-Business enterprise (G2B) C- Government-to-Personnel (G2E) and finally D-Authorities to- Govt (G2G).
G2C: Authorities-to-Citizens, in accordance to specialists, incorporates all the interactions amongst a govt and its citizens that can just take area electronically. The aim of G2C is to present citizens a lot quicker, far more responsive, a lot more handy and less challenging usually means to community products and services.
G2B: In the case of Governing administration-to-Small business, it refers to e-commerce in which authorities sells to corporations or presents them with solutions, as very well as firms offering products and solutions to government. Again the aim of G2B is to help enterprises to interact, transact and converse with government on the web, with better speed and benefit.
G2E: Govt-to-Staff features activities and services concerning federal government units and their employees. As the phrase indicates, the objective of G2E is to develop and cultivate IT capabilities between government staff to deliver economical and price-helpful solutions.
G2G: Apparently, Government-to-Governing administration appears to be to have twin significance. A single, G2G is said to consist of activities between federal government and other Ministries, Departments and Organizations (MDAs) of the same federal government.
The other that means of G2G is a circumstance in which Governments have to deal with their other counterpart governments of distinctive countries. This next G2G in the feeling of professionals is anchored on belief and interdependence, which allows for info sharing among the governments on regional, sub-regional and intercontinental challenges.
For instance, the handle of terrorism the management of cross border ailments like SARS, which happened in Asia some time back or even HIV/AIDS. This G2G also has to do with widespread financial problems as well as ethnic wars and conflicts complications facing West African States for occasion. For Singapore governing administration to reach the enviable e-Govt standing through effective on the net providers shipping to its citizens, selected methods were again adopted:
I) E-Government Infrastructure
The govt set in place a Nationwide Data Infrastructure as backbone for e-government expert services shipping. This strategy was christened Community Provider Infrastructure (PSI) in Singapore.
Physical Infrastructure
Authorities alone furnished Net obtain details in practical destinations such as general public libraries, shopping malls, govt workplaces, hospitals, subway stations and clubs and related public sites for the citizens to use totally free of charge.
Engineering Infrastructure
Listed here, the Governing administration supplied pcs, servers, networks (broadband and wireless), cellular equipment, clever playing cards as nicely as technologies benchmarks that are open and scalable these as Java, XML, World-wide-web products and services.
Authentication Infrastructure
Under this the federal government supplied E-Authorities ID and Password for all its citizens. It manufactured it much easier for incredibly citizen to know how to log on line and obtain Govt data and expert services.
II) E-Governing administration Legislation &Coverage
Getting put in place the needed infrastructure for the e-government expert services to the citizens, the upcoming tactic the Singapore federal government adopted was the enactment of related policies and laws and policies that govern the implementation of the programme.
Some of the main polices have been intended to safeguard privacy and details safety details protection, knowledge privacy, laptop misuse, legal recognition of electronic transactions, official control of cryptography, protection audits and effectively as expectations and certification of stability practices. Singapore’s laws and code of apply incorporate Laptop Misuse Act Digital Transaction Act, which was enacted in 1998, tried out to determine the legal rights and obligations of transaction get-togethers, and also provided authorized status on the use of electronic documents and signature. The Federal government also delivered details Safety Code.
III) E-Federal government Products and services
Immediately after placing in place ICT infrastructure and legislation and coverage the governing administration then created a website termed E-Citizen Portal. This site was to help citizens to ask issues and receive solutions. Specific electronic products and services deliveries are offered on this site.
Some of the products and services on this web site include payment of taxes and fines Issuance and renewal of driver’s licenses Serving to citizens uncover employment Nationwide strategies and awareness development on social expert services these kinds of well being and instruction Introduction of World wide web and IT education courses e-studying and good card in faculties. So computer system literacy started off suitable from the major school in Singapore and so on.
In the inadequate and rural communities, the government supplied totally free computers and Internet access factors and posted officers who know how to work the equipment to help the illiterates to reward from the on-line expert services.
In simple fact, in Singapore nowadays some companies like the issuing of Passports and Birth Certificates, you have to sit in the ease and comfort of your property and fill the required varieties and e-mail them to the acceptable authorities. Authorities will reward you for getting the expert services on line. Apparently if you go personally to those people places of work for the expert services, you will shell out penalty for going there personally. And just after paying the penalty you will be directed to go and use a laptop or computer in a corner
there in the business office however to utilize for the paperwork you desired.
In the case of Firms, E-Tender was introduced in that any business that preferred to bid for government contracts can only do that by means of the Net. Corporate taxes could only be filed electronically. Annual Reports and periodic small business reviews are all introduced on line. As in the situation of E-Citizens Portal, there is also one particular-quit Portal for all governing administration procurement alternatives with
more than 8,000 buying and selling partners. It is on this Portal that all company bodies do small business with the govt in Singapore. This is recognized as built-in e- Expert services.
This is the stage of E-Federal government Companies in Singapore. Is it any wonder that they are the 2nd e-country just after Canada in the e-earth? Ghana, much too, can do the exact no make any difference how prolonged it normally takes. What is vital is for the Ghanaian IT authorities to give the proper technological suggestions to the govt of Ghana.
