The NHS network is to undergo a STG45 million upgrade that will bring broadband to all hospitals, GPs and NHS trusts in the UK. The upgrades, to be completed by BT and Cable and Wireless by March 2004, will give every GP at least a 256 Kbps fixed-line connection, while Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities will get 2 Mbps connections. Among the benefits expected from the upgrade, which will be funded by the NHS Information Authority, are the electronic transfer of prescriptions between GPs, hospitals and pharmacists; shared access to electronic patient records; digital imaging; and distance learning.
The vast majority of politicians in Germany have an on-line presence, according to Europemedia.net, citing research carried out by political analysts Politikerscreen. Topping the poll for the best Web site was Rolf Schwanitz, SPD Member of Parliament for Vogtland/Sachsen, while Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder ranked 323rd out of 603 for a site lacking in content. Indeed, many of the sites were found to be outdated. Among the various states, 100 percent of parliamentarians in Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia have an on-line presence, while 78 percent of Bavarian politicians have an active presence on the Internet.
The government of Serbia is attempting to bring its courts system on-line, reports KableNET.com. The Belgrade administration is planning to introduce a new IT system in its commercial courts by February 2003, aimed at increasing efficiency in the legal system, improving officials' access to legal information and reducing fraud. The new system, which will be linked to the administration's central infrastructure through a joint computer network, is part of Serbia's wider e-government mission to modernise the administration and implement Internet technology.
Malaysia has issued a statement calling for all 35,000 government suppliers to use its "ePerolehan" e-procurement system from now on. The system, when fully functional, will enable suppliers to the government to give quotations, obtain tender documents and submit bids on-line. The Ministry of Finance said suppliers risked losing out on government-related business opportunities if they did not start using the system, which was launched last year. In fact, nearly all suppliers to the government have registered with ePerolehan, but fewer than 18,000 electronic catalogue items have been uploaded to the system.
The Internal Revenue Service in the US has launched an initiative that allows eligible taxpayers to file their tax returns on-line for free. The Free File program, available on the Web site of the IRS, provides free access to tax preparation software from 17 companies. Last year, about 35 percent of tax returns were filed electronically, and the IRS is hoping to increase this figure to 80 percent by 2007. The IRS says that at least 60 percent of taxpayers, around 78 million people, should be eligible for a free e-filing service this year. "We're opening up a whole new world of convenience to millions of taxpayers who have told us 'we would like to e-file, but we can't afford to,'" said Robert Wenzel, acting IRS commissioner, at the launch of the initiative.
Also in the US, 16 scholars have been awarded grants of USD15,000 each to research and report on issues that could improve e-government or performance management in the public sector. The recipients of the grants, which were allocated by the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government fund, must submit a research report on their selected topics within six months, for publication and distribution by IBM. Among the winning research topics were "E-Government in Rural Communities", "Advancing m-Government for State Emergency Management" and "Developing Integrative Technologies to Support E-Government".
Quelle: electricnews.net
