Government censorship of web is growing: A new study has claimed that oppressive regimes around the world are increasingly looking to censor freedom of speech online. According to the Reporters Without Frontiers annual report, which highlights the ways in which governments threaten the freedom of the press, censorship of the web is growing on every continent. The report claims that traditional "predators of press freedom" such as Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Libya, the Maldives, Nepal, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam all censor content on the internet now. Moreover, it notes that while only China, Vietnam and the Maldives had imprisoned cyber-dissidents in 2003, many more countries are beginning to follow their lead. The study claims that while blogs, discussion groups and personal websites have all helped to give a voice to men and women who were once just passive consumers of information, governments on all continents are increasingly looking to crack down on those who use the medium to "spread dissent". Read more on this story on ENN.
UK aims to drive take-up of e-services: The UK government has launched a marketing campaign to encourage citizens to take up online services. The STG5 million campaign will see ads appearing on radio, in print and online encouraging people to log on to their local council website as their first port of call when doing everyday chores, such as finding information on rubbish collection or paying parking fines. Internet users who visit http://local.direct.gov.uk/mycouncil/ can simply input their postcode, town or street name in order to be taken directly to the relevant service page of their local council website. Visits to council sites currently stand at around 13 million per month; the campaign aims to drive take-up further and to highlight the range of services that can be dealt with online, from reporting abandoned cars to renewing library books. "The more people deal with councils via the web, the more resources this frees up for re-investing in frontline services, which in turn brings additional benefits for local people," said Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Angela Smith.
US agencies get poor e-gov grades: Nine federal agencies in the US received downgrades in their e-government "scorecards" for the second quarter of fiscal 2006. The Office of Management and Budget's scorecard rates agencies for their e-government performance with a "traffic light" style ranking system -- red is awarded for a flawed performance, yellow for mixed results and green for success. The Office of Personnel Management and the departments of Commerce, Defense, Justice and Transportation were downgraded to the failing mark of red, while the Environmental Protection Agency, the Housing and Urban Development Department, NASA and the Small Business Administration dropped from a green to a yellow ranking. The OMB attributed the declining figures to lack of funding. "This lack of progress highlights the need for agencies and the OMB to work more closely with Congress to communicate the benefits and improved service provided by the e-government initiative's government-wide solutions," said an OMB statement.
Australians take to e-government services: Nearly one-fifth of Australians are using the internet to conduct all of their business with the federal government, according to Special Minister of State Gary Nairn, reports Australian newswire CRN. From the year 2004/2005 to 2005/2006, this figure has grown from 14 percent, and latest figures show that just under half of the population are now taking advantage of e-government services, up from 39 percent a year ago. The Government announced on 9 May that it intends to spend AUD2.7 billion on information and communications technology over the next four years, including AUD1 billion for a national smartcard. Other areas earmarked for funding include AUD375 million for an updated document and records management system for the Department of Immigration and AUD57.6 million for the Tourism and Industry Department to expand its portal site. There are also plans to fund a national document verification service and a national network to link health systems across the sector.
Philippines pilots electronic exam system: The Filipino government is bringing professional examinations and licence renewals online, reports the Sun Star online newswire. The country's Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is test-driving a new electronic system for professional exams, beginning with a pilot launch in the marine sector. Using the new Licensure Examination and Registration Information System (Leris), seafarers who wish to take exams for marine deck officer licences can now register online, take a walk-in computerised exam, and get their results soon afterward. Previously, marine personnel would have been required to attend the PRC in person, wait in line to register, take a written exam, and then wait nine days to get the results. The PRC expects around 5,000 seafarers a year to register online and take the computerised exams. If the pilot phase is a success, the PRC plans to roll out Leris to other professions, including teachers, nurses, mechanical engineers, dentists and x-ray technicians.
Autor/Author: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle/Source: ElectricNews, 10.05.2006
