IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

White House gets paper cuts | UK tightens border controls | Sweden tops e-gov league table | Malta forges IT alliance | Fiji addresses digital divide White House gets paper cuts: The White House is going green with this year's budget, opting to publish the annual presidential budget proposal only on the internet, rather than in the traditional paper format. "With an estimated total of nearly 2,200 pages in the four-book budget set, and a projected order of more than 3,000 copies for the media, Capitol Hill and the White House, the e-budget will have a 'green' focus above and beyond the fiscal sense," said Jim Nussle, director of the Office of Management and Budget. He estimated that the move online would save almost 20 tonnes of paper, or 480 trees, not to mention USD1 million over the next five years. The first ever paperless budget, due for release on 4 February at www.budget.gov, will be fully downloadable, searchable and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Those who still require a hard copy of the budget proposal can order one from the Government Printing Office.

UK tightens border controls: The UK government has completed a system for checking the fingerprints of all visa applicants, three months ahead of schedule and "millions under budget". The new system, described as the largest shake-up to Britain's border security and immigration system for 40 years, means that anyone applying for a UK visa from 133 countries around the world will now have their fingerprints checked against UK databases. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said that nearly 500 cases of identity swapping had already been spotted using the system. He also noted that the Border and Immigration Agency had exceeded the Prime Minister's target of removing or deporting more than 4,000 foreign national prisoners by the end of 2007. "The public wants stronger borders," said Byrne. "They want us to shut down the causes of illegal immigration and hold newcomers to account, deporting rule breakers where necessary. They also want a compassionate system, which makes and enforces decisions fast when we have obligations to honour -- and lets those we need contribute to Britain as long as they speak English, pay tax and obey the law."

Sweden tops e-gov league table: Scandinavian countries are continuing to forge ahead in terms of e-government development, with three countries from the region securing the top spots in the latest UN report. Sweden came top of the 'e-government readiness' index in the "UN e-Government Survey 2008: From e-Government to Connected Governance," while Denmark and Norway took second and third places, followed by the US in fourth place. The UK took tenth position, while Ireland was ranked 19th. The survey noted that while European countries made up 70 percent of the top-ranked 35 countries and Asian nations accounted for 20 percent, there were no countries in the top 35 from the African, Caribbean, Central American, Central Asian, South American, or Southern Asian regions. "A large part of the success of the European countries has been [due to] their investment in infrastructure and connectivity," said the report, noting that "a robust broadband network is critical to the roll out of e-government applications and services." The study also ranked countries for 'e-participation', with the US coming top of this index "primarily due to its strength in e-information and e-consultation, which enabled its citizens to be more interactive with their government." Download the report (PDF) here.

Malta forges IT alliance: The Maltese government has announced a strategic agreement with 14 IT firms, with a view to enhancing public services, as well strengthening the indigenous software sector, reports the Malta Independent. Of the 14 companies involved, 11 are software development firms while three are software consultancies. Making the announcement, Minister for Investments, Industry and Information Technology Dr Austin Gatt said the aim was to boost Malta's e-government standing by delivering more sophisticated e-services at a faster pace than in the past. "It is not enough that Malta is among the leading EU states in information technology," said Dr Gatt. "We have to be the best, and within the coming three years I believe we can do just that." The deal also guarantees the government stable software development prices over the coming years, while boosting employment in the software industry. Forty new e-government services are due to come on stream in the next 15 months.

Fiji addresses digital divide: Rural schools in Fiji are set to benefit from internet services, thanks to a project established with the help of the Chinese government. Fiji's Ministry of Education has installed satellite dishes at 12 'e-community learning centres' in rural locations, enabling the schools to gain access to internet and e-mail facilities. The Education Minister acknowledged the assistance of the Chinese government in the project, which was coordinated by Fiji's Information Technology and Computing Services department. "The… project will be the catalyst for improvement in education and communication, now and in years to come," said the minister.

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Autor(en)/Author(s): Sylvia Leatham

Quelle/Source: ElectricNews, 21.01.2008