As combating corruption is a top priority for all political parties, e-government can provide an effective tool in reducing corruption, the study said. And improved transparency in government actions raises investors' confidence, which in turn contributes to increased foreign direct and domestic investment, added the study. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) conducted the 'Study of eGovernment in Bangladesh'.
E-government helps make the procedures of government internal processes more efficient, save time and resources, the study said. It can also help boost private sector performance and efficiency by reducing the time and expenses required for businesses to interact with the government.
Common applications of e-government include online delivery of government information and services, computerised licensing and registration, web-based tender notification and procurement, web-enabled complaints submission and online public comment for draft legislation.
E-government aims to streamline relationship between government, business and people through effective use of information and communication technology (ICT).
"The simplification of government processes and services such as online procurement helps reduce barriers to entry for new businesses and increase competition."
Online procurement system is one of the most popular e-government initiatives in neighbouring countries to address corruption and lack of transparency, the study added.
The government should take similar steps to establish an e-procurement system to increase transparency, reduce corruption, and minimise the time and cost of processing tenders, the study recommended.
As the scope of e-government services expands, the enactment of cyber laws is becoming increasingly important, it observed. Some of the issues to be included in the legal framework are laws to protect intellectual property; laws for acceptance of documents in electronic format (such as downloaded documents); cyber-terrorism laws that protect against unauthorised hacking; and laws to enable electronic authentication, the study added.
The government should take steps to set up an e-government resource centre that would serve as a think tank and policy research organisation on e-government, the study said.
The Public Administration Training Centre (PATC) should take steps to prepare a full-fledged curriculum to introduce government officials to the major policy issues of e-government in a systematic way, it said.
As e-government allows digital storage and retrieval of data, all relevant government offices can share these, the study observed.
The government, through the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, should also take steps to ensure that the cost of ICT is reduced to make it affordable for a wider section of the population, it said.
At the same time, it should be recognised that having widespread internet access is not an essential pre-condition in the initial stages of e-government. If services and information are made available through the internet information middlemen will play a role in disseminating information, the BEI study recommended.
Quelle: The Daily Star, 15.05.2004
