Speaking during a consultative workshop in Maputo on the proposal for an "e-government" strategy and its implementation at central and local levels, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of State Administration, Lourenco Chipenembe, said this is the best way to improve efficiency in public service, and ensure the government's transparency and accountability. Addressing the meeting on behalf of Minister Lucas Chomera, Chipenembe said that the government's 2004-2009 five year programme pays special attention to the fight against poverty, which implies deep changes in the public administration.
"The challenge of developing an Electronic Government", he stressed, "is a new step in the reform of the public sector, and calls for government efforts to empower its institutions to render improved services to the public and put an end to delays".
He described the implementation of "e-government" as a true revolution in Public Administration, because it takes into account not only new information technologies, but also the real needs in the public service.
Through this strategy the government is preparing the country to face the challenges of development and globalization, Chipenembe argued.
When implemented, electronic government will play an important role as a catalyst for poverty alleviation policies, for tax reform and the state's financial management system, for computerisation police, and for other areas of public sector reform, argued Luorino Chemane, a member of the government's Computer Policy Commission.
Chemane noted that the most important factors for the implementation of those policies are political will, leadership and good management, the monitoring and assessment of progress, and the involvement of the community and of the country's foreign partners.
The idea is to make available, through the internet, standard procedures on all government services and allow all citizens to actively participate in the governance of the country.
However, the country is still facing severe constraints when it comes to implementing this strategy, because vast numbers of Mozambicans in rural areas have never set eyes on a computer.
Furthermore computerisation relies on electricity, and there are still many districts that are still not hooked up to the national electricity grid.
"Rural electrification is a major project, but it is still far from being undertaken in a satisfactory manner", declared the Permanent Secretary of the Tourism Ministry, Victoria Diogo.
The "e-government" proposal was drafted by the Technical Unit for the Implementation of Computing Policy (UTICT), together with the Public Sector Reform Technical Unit.
Quelle: AllAfrica, 29.06.2005
