Joe Mazibuko, State Information Technology Agency (SITA) marketing services managing executive, told delegates e-government would achieve greater transparency, revenue growth, cost reduction and convenience for local citizens. According to a study conducted by Accenture, SA is badly lagging in terms of e-government readiness, with countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Portugal all ahead of South Africa.
But while there is still much work to be done, Mazibuko said SA was making progress and was in the process of rolling out certain e-government strategies, pointing to the e-Government Gateway Project launched last year August.
"The project aims to develop a single online system that will provide South Africans with access to government services any time, anywhere. It will deliver optimised service delivery, public participation and governance through technologies such as the Internet and one-stop shop services," he said.
The timeline for any effective strategy will be a broad one, said Mazibuko: "Phase one of six has just been completed, which has taken for or five years and cost a lot of money. This is not something that will happen overnight, but rather will be rolled out well into the future, possibly up to 20 years."
Accenture government senior manager Isabel Malheiro agreed that such an initiative would not be achieved overnight, and stressed the need for government to focus in its citizens throughout the process.
"The full benefits of e-government will be realised only if citizens take advantage of them. The reason why Canada has been so successful in its roll out is because it is so citizen-centric.
More bang for your buck
Providing a foreign perspective on the roll-out of e-government, Software AG Northern Europe and SA regional manager Paul Smith said savings accrued was a significant motivator in the process, provided it was invested in properly.
"It can be very expensive, and it is IT dependant. The key is to leverage existing infrastructure. The rewards are significant - the UK government will have saved up to £ 1.2 billion by 2007/08 thanks to its e-government strategies.
Malheiro agreed, stating that there were no "quick wins here, but the realisation of savings will validate the potential of e-government in the long run".
Autor: Damian Clarkson and Itumeleng Mogaki
Quelle: IT Web, 04.03.2005
