The centre, called the Cape Gateway Contact and Walk-in Centre, is part of the provincial administration's online strategy and is expected to improve service delivery in all departments. The centre, launched on Thursday, will increase efficiency and make interaction between the public and the government easier.
Finance and Economic Development MEC Ebrahim Rasool drew parallels to the Freedom Charter that was drawn up 48 years ago. He said that the call centre would help realise those aspirations.
"The people will be able to see exactly where they stand on the housing list, whether they qualify for a grant or pension and which hospital to use in the area."
Cape Gateway is the first step in the staged introduction of e-government.
The telephone contact centre and centrally located walk-in centre give the public the choice of how they want to access information.
The walk-in centre is at 142 Long Street and is open weekdays from 8am to 4pm. The contact centre is open from 8am to 6pm.
The walk-in provides information through government publications, including the latest policies, departmental strategies and research reports.
It also provides free access to Internet terminals for government information searches. A web portal will be available before the end of the year.
Harold Wesso, head of Knowledge Economy and E-Government in the Western Cape, said: "This is seen as a small step in technological terms, but it's a giant leap in governance."
Quelle: IOL
