EC hails success of fingerprint database: The European Commission has reported that its pan-European fingerprinting database for asylum seekers has had a successful first year of operation. The EURODAC system, launched in January 2003, aims to prevent asylum seekers from making applications in more than one EU country. The Commission said that 7 percent of the 246,902 people registered in the database last year -- more than 17,000 people -- were caught attempting to make multiple applications for asylum. The system stores fingerprints, but not the names or personal details, of asylum seekers, and only national authorities dealing with asylum have access to the database; police and law enforcement officials cannot use the database for criminal investigations. The Commission said that no data protection problems had been raised by national data protection authorities in the EU with regard to the operation of the EURODAC system.
Taiwanese government embraces western style: The Taiwanese parliament has passed a law forcing all official documents to be written from left to right, in the western style. The move to abandon the traditional method of writing Chinese from right to left and from top to bottom was fuelled by increasing computerisation and the need for clarity and uniformity in official documents. The switch was first mooted early last year, when the government said it was considering the move because it wanted to promote the use of English and because some official documents were written in both Chinese and English. The traditional written method "looks very confusing especially when texts contain numbers and English," Tsai Ting-kui of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission told AFP news agency. He also noted that the change "would help expedite the process of e-government while international exchanges are on the rise." Although critics have said the changeover will weaken Taiwanese culture, Tsai said arts and literature will not be obliged to comply with the ruling.
NZ local councils to enhance e-government portal: The government of New Zealand has announced that more local government services are to be made available on-line. Local Government New Zealand, an organisation that represents the 86 councils of the country, has reached an agreement with the State Services Commission's E-government Unit to support the government's Web portal with local council information. The government portal already includes information from central government agencies, crown research institutes and a list of more than 120 council services. "Now Internet users will be able to access more and more local and regional council information on everything from dog licences and rating information to the opening hours of their local library, all from one portal," said State Services Minister Trevor Mallard in a statement.
Bahrain re-launches health site: Bahrain's Ministry of Health has e-enabled medical appointments for certain patients. Private patients of the country's Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) can now book appointments on the Health Ministry's newly revamped Web site, at www.moh.gov.bh. SMC patients can log in using a special ID and make a new appointment or view all details pertaining to existing appointments. Information on all medical facilities, services and doctors at all government and private hospitals in the country have also been made available on the site. Other features of the site include health news and statistics, ministry publications, details of health legislation and on-line forms. The new site is an enhanced version of the site that was launched two years ago by the Ministry. Speaking at the re-launch, Health Ministry senior computer system analyst Heyam Ebrahim Hazeem praised the new site for being interactive, rather than merely informative.
UK to e-enable council grants system: The UK's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is implementing a new housing grants management system for local authorities. The system, developed by IT consulting firm Xansa, is aimed at streamlining the application process used by 350 local councils to apply for about STG2 billion in grants. The Web-based system, known as Logas.net, can capture data from councils and enables grants authorisation staff within the ODPM to define and administer various grants. Among the functions performed by the system are forms management, data capture and payments processing. Xansa won the STG3.85 million contract to develop the system in December 2002, and successfully implemented a pilot scheme involving 40 local authorities.
Quelle: Electric news Net, 12.05.2004
