The launch of the e-Portal confirms the position of the UAE in the top rank of countries offering advanced government services and was one of a series of key initiatives given the go ahead today by the top level committee. It also approved the new e-Government logo and crucially gave the green light to the hugely significant programmes to implement the e-Project, e-Expat, and e-Human Resources Management System.
Following today's meeting Dr. Kharbash welcomed the progress that was made. He said: 'The e-Portal project which we have set in motion will be the customers' one-stop doorway to government services on the web.
'Today's launch signals that the committee is making real headway in its efforts to bring the e-Government project to fruition. What we have achieved by implementing the e-Portal reflects the depth of the commitment of everyone involved and our determination to complete this project.'
The e-Portal is the single biggest development to date in the country's strategic advance towards a comprehensive system of interactive e-Government to fundamentally alter the public's interface with government and ultimately lead to the provision of all services online. Initially, the site will be set up to provide current information on Government news and policies and will offer links to all sites with official information about the UAE Government.
The initiative is being driven by the Ministry of Finance and Industry (MOFI) and the portal itself was developed and is being managed by e-Company, the Internet and e-Business solutions unit of Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat).
Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, e-Company's General Manager, said: 'We are fully in tune with the overall strategy of the UAE Federal e-Government project and jointly developed the e-Portal with input from MOFI. Our aim has been to seamlessly integrate all the relevant Ministries and Government departments, so that the user does not have to constantly go back and forth and the policies and laws of the UAE are easily understood and followed.'
One of the big projects which is now set to get off the ground following the steering committee's approval today is the e-Expat system. This will eventually provide a single entry point for all expatriates in the UAE, allowing them to process their visa and residency services, labour permits, health cards, and other services.
Once it becomes fully operational e-Expat will offer a one-stop service linking federal departments such as the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Interior. Effectively, there will be in place a common interface through which expats can identify and obtain all the information they need and even carry out the paperwork to acquire the permits, and approvals they need.
The e-Project programme too, a budgeting and tracking tool for Federal Government projects, is now poised to get off the ground after it too received approval from the committee. This project will enable the Federal government to access, monitor and manage infrastructure and building projects through a central system, will also enable it to accurately report on progress, management and financing.
The third prong of the e-Government project, the e-Human Resources Management system, will allow the government to better manage its human capital when it becomes fully operational. The system will macro and micro manage all aspects of employment, from demography to the mobility of the workforce and locating skill shortages.
The e-Government project will be clearly identifiable, following the committee's decision to approve a logo that will be printed on all relevant material. Dr. Kharbash said: 'The e-Government logo which we approved today reflects the philosophy of this vital project and its aim to simplify and organise procedures.'
Autor: Anne-Birte Stensgaard
Quelle: AME Info, 20.10.2004
