Speaking at an international conference called ICT-Enabled Sustainability In Smart Cities, Claudio Grech, who heads the Malta Information Technology Agency, said the country could not wait until the ultra-high speed fibre optic networks became the global standard to adopt the technology, otherwise it would not be as attractive for investment by IT companies.
Mr Grech said that, in the near future, a unified e-government platform would decentralise government services. This would make them more accessible and convenient, with third parties such as shops, post offices and health centres, being able to provide services that, to date, still require people to go to a specific office. For instance, one would be able to apply for a government e-ID at a stationery.
He defended the government's "smart island" vision, saying that if it were true that it was just a political gimmick, as the decision by the Broadcasting Authority not to air an advertising campaign on it had implied, then top IT companies such as IBM and Cisco would not be investing in Malta.
Technology and Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt emphasised the need for a culture change for the proper integration of ICT into a seamless whole. While hardware and software were vital, the most important factor were the users themselves.
"While it is very easy to lay a cable, it is much more difficult to persuade a government clerk to change the way of doing things", Dr Gatt told the audience.
The conference was organised by Malta Investment Management Company Ltd (Mimcol) in collaboration with Meusac, the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee. It was centred on the EU Competiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP), aimed at funding initiatives that use technology and innovation at the service of society.
In this regard, according to the minister, the smart grid system Malta will be adopting soon will not only enable bills to be issued efficiently and accurately but it will also help consumers understand their energy usage and plan it out more efficiently, thus reducing adverse economical and environmental consequences.
In his pitch to the international audience, Dr Gatt spoke about the public transport reform. While in the past there used to be 58 million bus trips a year, the number has since fallen to 28 million, even though tourism had increased, he said.
It was for this reason the public transport system was being reformed. Information technology systems would be an integral part of the new service, whereby consumers would be able to plan out their trips through their computers or phones.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): David Schembri
Quelle/Source: Times of Malta, 08.03.2010
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