There is a lack of e-readiness, due to shortage of IT resources, poor IT infrastructure, as well as IT capabilities, said Dr Hazri Hj Rifle.
Speaking during a forum on "Current and Future of E-government in Brunei" at the International Conference on e-Government and Administrative Simplification, he said the government is trying to resolve the problem by improving computer literacy.
"We need more people with more advanced computer skills in the government and a higher number of people with ICT professional qualifications," he said.
Dr Hazri said that there was no government that was completely ready for e-government, as there was no standard model by which a country's government could share or pass on from one country to another.
He noted that balanced planning, coordination and action were needed, as one that was heavier than the other did not effectively improve the implementation process of e-government.
"It is very important for any government to implement projects that are easier and that can deliver instant significant benefits to citizens who first need to believe in the e-government project."
The next step forward in Brunei's e-government system is to encourage citizen participation, said the deputy permanent secretary (IT and Government) at the Prime Minister's Office.
'When we look at the rankings, we've got to focus a lot more on citizens' participation," said Abdul Mutalib Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yusof.
"That is why when we started off the first exercise, we wanted to get the input from the citizens because the convenience of the e-government service is specifically for the citizens."
Abdul Mutalib said the next step not only included their participation, but also the support of the government, and only by working together could the goal of having an effective e-government system in Brunei be achieved.
Dr Hazri said Brunei had the benefit of being a small country, as development and progress could be accomplished especially with the budget of the country.
"The benefits for us (Brunei) are that we are a small country," he said. "So we can even fast-track or even jump to the next stage and the second or the third stage."
In comparison to Singapore, it took them 20 years of planning before moving towards e-government, which they announced it back in the 1980s, according to Dr Hazri's study on Singapore's e-government system.
"By year 2000 when they announced their embarkation on e-government, the civil servants and majority of the population were already confident with IT," said the deputy director.
"They had sufficient IT human resources, various IT software companies have also been established and a well-built IT infrastructure in the public sector."
He believes that the journey of embarking on e-government is a long one for Brunei as it will take time to integrate IT knowledge among the public and also to implement the IT infrastructure with sufficient IT personnel to support it.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Amir Noor
Quelle/Source: Bru Direct, 13.05.2010
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