With a click away on the portal, more lifestyle, business and diplomatic things are facilitated faster online, ranging from civil services to exit-entry applications, and from policy consultations to faculty recruitments, for people both in and out.
With a daily page view of more than 200,000, www.sh.gov.cn is selected one of the best two portals among all the 36 online government websites in China by an authoritative computer magazine this year. The other winner is of the Beijing government.
In the "government efficiency" round, Shanghai scored the highest.
For example, a vice president of a US-based company came all the way to express his gratitude to the portal after it helped the Chinese Embassy grant him an interim entry visa with stunning high efficiency a couple of days ago. With all the application and granting business completed within 20 minutes online, instead of several days offline, the president arrived in Shanghai right on time for an emergent meeting.
The high efficiency of the portal has also benefited people in other areas.
Online "annual check" shortens the times of visits local companies should pay to the industrial and commercial authorities from three to one. Online "recruitment & test" reduces the official seals people need for their job approvals from seven to one, with out-of-town candidates for local government posts needing to come to Shanghai three times only for writen test, interview and health check, rather than five or more times in the past.
Timely reply to needy quests is another feature heralding the city's strive for a functional online government.
The taxation and fiscal administration is responding to citizens' online questions within three working days, rather than 21 days offline previously.
The information commission has integrated its 18 permit-approving procedures to 14 and later, to nine, shortening the time needed for the ratification for a report of feasibility from 20 to 15 days.
Top government officials have also started to read "letters to governors/mayors/directors/chiefs" in person, in a bid to achieve the goal of offering 100 percent reply to citizens in the near future.
Quelle: EastDay, 21.10.2003
