Speaking during the launch on Tuesday, Minister for Investments, Industry and IT Austin Gatt said that the new electronic service is the biggest one to date, as it has almost 200,000 potential clients and is related to a service for which there is a huge demand.
Minister Gatt said that a number of complications had slowed down the completion of the project, mainly due to the fact that it aims to provide a hassle-free service that can be provided without moving from one place to another and therefore required a huge cooperation from private operators, such as insurance brokers and VRT garages.
He went on to say that the Government is trying to promote a culture for the provision of electronic services and is trying to lead by setting the example. However, the collaboration of the private sector in this regard is of central importance as such a culture is still lagging behind.
Through the eVERA service, users can log on to the www.licenzji-vetturi.gov.mt website and, if they are in possession of a valid insurance policy and their vehicle does not require a VRT test, they can renew their vehicle registration license from the comfort of their home and receive the license disc by post within three working days without the need to go to the Licensing Department.
Drivers can also go to an insurance agency or broker and, while renewing their insurance policy, also renew their vehicle registration and receive their license disc immediately. In this way, the insurance agents or brokers would also become agents of the public service and provide a higher-quality service to their clients.
Minister Austin Gatt noted that the project is the first that incorporates such a number of elements for the provision of a single simple service not only in Malta, but also in Europe.
On his part, Minister for Urban Development and Roads Jesmond Mugliett said that, once the service is fully-implemented, the public would benefit from an increased comfort and a drastic decrease in time wasted while waiting.
He added that the reforms carried out at the Licensing Department had already decreased significantly the waiting time, but the new service will further increase the efficiency of the department for the benefit of its clients.
Minister Mugliett further said that the Government is looking into the development of other related online systems, including the renewal of driving licenses and a system for the registration of new vehicles.
Autor: Chris Galea
Quelle: di-ve, 25.04.2006
