"In two years, everything should be (inter-connected) online, that's my target," he said during a meeting with the executives of the local chapter of Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).
The transition to e-government, according to Pastika, was necessary to create a modern bureaucracy that was cost-efficient and able to cope with the growing needs of the public.
The modernization will be carried out gradually. In this first phase, the governor has reduced the number of staff meetings and has also instructed every division and agency to begin establishing computerized data bases.
"There is no need to conduct nonurgent meetings and searching for specific data should no longer take a long time," he said.
Pastika expressed his concern over the large volume of paper consumed in the administration's daily operations.
"Eventually, heaps upon heaps of decaying paper will be left abandoned somewhere," he said.
He pointed out that producing the province's annual budget was one activity that consumed a staggering amount of paper.
"The budget ends up being a very thick volume and every time a revision is made, a new version is printed and distributed to each and every official and legislator involved in the deliberation process. What a waste of paper," he said.
Pastika envisions that in the near future the agencies and divisions will be interconnected through an integrated information technology infrastructure.
"We will have a paperless environment. We will be able to save a lot of money because we won't have to buy so many office supplies," he said.
Pastika praised the Jembrana regency administration for its ability to implement e-government.
"Its administration is fully connected, it is really good," he said.
AJI will hold its national congress in Bali on Thursday. In conjunction with the gathering, a seminar on new media will be organized featuring speakers from Indonesia's largest mass media.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Wasti Atmodjo
Quelle/Source: The Jakarta Post, 27.11.2008
