The responsibilities of local governments are no longer confined to their traditional roles of providing waste disposal services and addressing land matters at service counters.
The needs of the people today are much more than basic counter service. The demands are that local governments make easy and simple all transactions with the Government through the use of information communications technology (ICT).
The evolution and metamorphosis in the quality of delivery of services to the public by the Government is much pronounced in recent years with the advent of e-government. They want service delivered to their homes, without having to leave their homes.
E-government essentially brings a new revolution in the quality of service delivered to the citizens. It has ushered in transparency in the governing process; saving time due to the provisions of services through a single window. It provides certainty and consistency in delivery, something customers expect and demand in this age.
As the use of ICT grows globally and in all aspects of service, be that public or private sector, it is imperative that local governments do not develop their strategies for ICT in vacuum and in isolation of the needs of global demographic and customer use trends.
As Malaysia moves towards enhancing national governance, these dynamics will naturally influence the governance framework at the local level as well. We must also acknowledge a more inclusive and participatory approach in an increasingly ICT savvy generation. This generation will spur a more pervasive demand from the local government.
We now see children as young as three years old using computers and seven using the Internet as part of their daily activities. People are more connected through the cyber networks. ICT has made a difference to our lives through the use of e-mails, and the Internet is now a source of information, communication, education, news and entertainment.
In the recent Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Malaysia Implementation Meeting, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged ministries to take pro-active actions to maximise the use of ICT in the delivery of public services.
Towards this end, the Housing and Local Government Ministry has initiated few measures to introduce information technology in local council workings.
In 2008, e-PBT online was introduced. Through e-PBT, the public is able to check their bills, renew licences and make payment of taxes online. This system has enabled cost-savings, achieved by increasing the speed of the transactions, reduction in the number of personal necessary to complete a task, and improving the consistency of outcomes.
The introduction of One-Stop-Centre (OSC) has helped in introducing a web-based development control system. It has not only helped in reducing the time consumed in processing development proposal applications but also significantly improved the process of approvals.
The introduction of OSC online has brought about a revolution in the quality of service delivered to the citizen.
It enabled time and cost-saving in submission and processing of development proposals which is done online. No more queues. No more waiting time.
Since its introduction, OSC has been doing exceptionally well. This system offers fast-track approval of development proposals for high impact projects, government projects, foreign investment projects and Build and Then Sell projects. We have received 77,336 applications since its implementation.
OSC is based on the single window and no wrong door policy. One only needs to submit any of the 32 types of applications to OSC and are able to check the status application online. Communication G2G and G2C on application is also available online. Fast track approval is done within four months when in most instances, it takes six months.
The recently-launched “Bridging Digital Divide (BDD)” is intended to facilitate computerisation in the sub-urban areas. BDD is an effort to build knowledge-based community. Some of the implementation objectives of BDD are to reduce the digital divide between rural poor and urban affluent groups. It is also done to develop ICT literacy among the urban poor so that they could benefit from the digital opportunities available.
Today, the community in Kampung Pekan Nenas, Johor, are enjoying the fruits of BDD. It has enabled them to access all e-community, e-learning and e-business information related to scheduled religious activities at the local mosque, activities at its hypermedia library, schools and other information. The project has received excellent response from the community. The once seemingly IT illiterate community is today IT savvy.
With the increasing need and constant demand to be innovative, cutting-edge and different, the use of ICT as a service delivery tool is today a necessity not an option. This said, though we have invested heavily in ICT, we are also focused on investing in our human resources to ensure excellent service delivered.
We are also looking for more initiatives to benefit the public and to improve the quality of life. The best ICT would mean nothing if people do not use it optimally.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Datuk Ahmad Kabit
Quelle/Source: The Malaysia Star, 30.11.2009
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