Alcatel wins UK 'smart road' contract: The UK government has awarded a EUR120 million contract to telecoms equipment provider Alcatel for the provision of a "smart road" solution for the Highways Agency. Alcatel will roll out a converged high-speed telecoms network along England's motorways, as part of a project managed by the GeneSYS consortium, which is headed by engineering firm Fluor Corporation. Alcatel said that the implementation, known as the National Roads Telecommunications Services (NRTS), would make a significant contribution to safe roads, reliable journeys and informed travellers in the UK. The Highways Agency currently manages and maintains 28 networks around the country, with data coming from more than 11,000 roadside devices. It is expected that Alcatel's single, IP-based optical backbone network will improve the transmission of various types of information, including CCTV footage and electronic signalling, as well as enhance the delivery of services such as emergency telephony. The rollout will begin in 2006, with completion of the core transmission network planned for the first quarter of 2007.
Pakistan launches online tax return facility: The government of Pakistan has introduced electronic filing of income tax returns. According to a report by online newspaper Dawn.com, Pakistan's Central Board of Revenue (CBR) launched the new e-service, available at www.cbr.gov.pk, on 24 September. In order to avail of the facility, taxpayers will need to obtain a digital signature from the National Institutional Facilitation Technologies, for which there is a charge of PKR5,000 (around EUR70). The government said online filing of tax returns was aimed especially at Income Tax Practitioners and Chartered Accountant companies, who file multiple returns on behalf of their clients. Amendments have been made to government legislation to give legal recognition to electronic returns and to allow tax practitioners who file multiple returns on behalf of clients to only obtain one digital signature, said a government official. The necessary forms for filing tax returns can be downloaded from the CBR's website and, once filled, returned to the CBR by e-mail.
Dubai unveils portal for mobile users: The municipal government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has announced the launch of its new Mobile Portal. The portal is a specially designed version of the Dubai e-government portal, www.dubai.ae, that is available to users of mobile phones and PDAs. Thanks to a number of public/private partnerships, a range of services have been made available to mobile users, in six categories: traffic, Islamic affairs, financial information, travel booking, Dubai information, and entertainment. Among the information available via the portal are visa information, prayer times, stock market updates and television schedules. Users can also avail of services such as booking flights, traffic fine payments, and currency converters. "The launch of a Mobile Portal was imperative considering the major increase in mobile penetration in Dubai and, more importantly, taking into account the increase in the number of people who are constantly on the move and dependent on their mobile phones for accessing information," said Salem Al Shair, eServices director, Dubai eGovernment.
Brunei funds religious e-gov projects: The government of Brunei has launched four e-government projects for its Ministry of Religious Affairs, reports the Borneo Bulletin. The projects are among 13 e-government initiatives that have been earmarked for over BND40 million (EUR19.6 million) in funding by the government. The four projects, which were launched by the Minister of Religious Affairs, are the Infrastructure Networking and Data Centre, the Zakat Management System, the e-Islam Information Kiosk and the Islamic Information System (SisMi). The data centre, which will house all of the ministry's servers, will provide the foundation for all of the e-government projects at the ministry, the minister explained. The Zakat Management System is an IT system that will aid in the collection and distribution of tithes. The SisMi, meanwhile, will develop systems and applications related to the task and responsibilities of the ministry, including the development of a new website. Finally, the e-Islam Information Kiosk project will involve the placing of 18 kiosks offering information in strategic locations such as mosques, government buildings, the hospital and the airport.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews, 28.09.2005
