IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) chairman Virgilio Pena has said that a technical working group evaluating government information and communications technology projects would be conducting a review of all projects that may lead to a possible realignment of unused government resources.

Pena said that the Department of Budget and Managements (DBM) was allocating about one billion pesos in 2006 for e-government projects.

Kazakhstan will put into effect its "e-government" system in mid-April, head of Kazakhstan's Information and Telecommunications Agency Askar Zhumagaliyev said. Some 32 of the 34 state bodies and institutions already have their own websites, forming the infrastructure for implementing the e-government portal. The people of Kazakhstan can take advantage of the portal's interactive information services, such as obtaining tax declaration forms and licenses over the Internet, and online shopping.

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has issued a tender for a Linux desktop solution for the tax-collecting government department. While Sars admits that the challenge of moving to Linux on the desktop is great, a successful proof of concept could see 14 000 desktops running Microsoft Windows XP SP2 migrated to Linux.

Currently Sars runs more than 700 approved applications, of which there are seven "core tax" applications. Any tenderer will have to find a way to port bespoke Windows applications successfully and in a cost-effective manner. Other hurdles include "usability, end-user acceptance and resistance to change", "the cost and challenge of end-user training and support", and "a frequently encountered dependency on Microsoft Active Directory".

Der südafrikanische Revenue Service (Sars) hat eine öffentliche Ausschreibung zur Evaluation verschiedener Linux-Desktop-Lösungen bekannt gegeben.

Die Ausschreibung des Sars dient zunächst dem Zweck, interessante Angebote zu den Linux-Desktops verschiedener Hersteller einzuholen. Die ausgewählten Angebote sollen dann in einem Zeitraum von drei Monaten in den Techniklabors des Sars gründlichen Tests in Sachen Performanz usw. unterzogen werden.

Dubai Municipality is gearing up for the launch of the second phase of its Building Permit Certification Service, which will be one of the biggest eGovernment implementations undertaken by the Municipality.

The completion of this phase will ensure 100 per cent online transactions between Dubai Municipality and building contractors in Dubai.