They have certainly started off on the right foot. A tour of the website reflects a genuine commitment to making information more accessible to the public and it is hoped that this will translate into a marked improvement in efficiency for this Ministry and its various divisions, which unfortunately have a rather poor reputation. The Licensing Authority, in particular, often receives heavy criticism as members of the public dread the frustrating and time-consuming process of business transactions.
Luckily, the new website has the potential to reduce this bottleneck at the Licensing Authority that often sees individuals spending up to three hours to renew a driver’s license. It would be a welcome move for the MTW to embrace the e-government principle of increased service delivery through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by adding an online payment feature, whereby persons might pay license renewals, road taxes and other fees via the website.
Imagine the time that could be saved if they were able to make those payments from anywhere they have secure Internet access! Think of the time that could be saved and used for more productive activities – a benefit to both the private and public sector! While it had its fair share of kinks, last year’s inaugural online filing of income tax returns gave Barbadians a taste of how easy tedious transactions could be if they are moved to an electronic platform.
Of course, as an UNDESA official once said, e-Government is not a substitute for i-Government (inefficient Government). Therefore, the increased use of ICTs should not consist of merely shifting current services from an office or paper-based setting to an online one. Rather, all processes should be reviewed and streamlined before migration to the online platform so as to avoid simply transferring the same inefficiencies that plagued the old system.
Open up
The subject of websites and their functionality causes us to revisit a previous editorial in which we urged the authorities not to “stay behind the barrier” – the language barrier, that is. Following that editorial, members of the public have questioned the lack of foreign language versions on major tourism and international business websites and we would agree that this is long overdue. This simple move would do much to enhance our image as a country that is open to visitors and investors from around the world, particularly those countries we are actively targeting.
In short, if they are to get the most out of their investment in ICTs, various government bodies must strive wherever possible to cater to the needs of their users.
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Quelle/Source: The Barbados Advocate, 03.03.2010
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