E-governance is a policy that aims to “make government administration more transparent, speedy and accountable, while addressing the society’s needs and expectations through efficient public services” using the internet.
Geingob said the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT) is working on several electronic laws to ensure a secure legal framework and environment for the implementation of the e-governance.
“As such, several stakeholder consultative workshops have already taken place to finalise the electronic transaction law; data protection; and the model law on computer crime and cyber crime,” he said.
The Prime Minister made the announcement on Thursday when he responded to questions by the vice president of Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Steve Bezuidenhout on progress of the e-governance.
Geingob said under the e-Government Strategic Action Plan (eGSAP), the-Government policy of 2005 will need to be revised while a new legislation dealing with “inappropriate web content and online safety among others” will be developed. The update by the premier comes at a time when a motion on the use of social media in the country is set to be tabled in parliament.
“E-government services will be provided online to bring government services closer to the people,” Geingob said.
Several government projects have been criticised for the lack of implementation and Geingob believes that the policy requires strong political leadership from the Office of the Prime Minister and the MICT and a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation strategy.
According to Geingob, a five-year eGSAP 2013-2018 which is the blue print for ICT in the public sector is in the final stages of adoption.
The prime minister said the government will use the West Africa Cable System that was completed last year for US$75 million (about N$750 million).
He said the government, in collaboration with Telecom Namibia, has rolled out 13 points of presences (POPs) in the 13 regions while the 14th point will be created in the newly-created Kavango West Region.
The 10 ministries, according to Geingob, that will kick start the internet-based system have been identified as the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministries of Home Affairs and Immigration, Trade and Industry, Lands and Resettlement as well as Education.
The others are Finance; Agriculture, Water and Forest; Health and Social Services; Mines and Energy; as well as Environment and Tourism.
Geingob added that the ministries will also form part of the e-government programme coordination committee, together with MICT, the Efficiency Charter Unit in the OPM, and representatives from the academia and civil society. That committee will set up a programme task force that will oversee the implementation process.
The premier also announced that a technical cooperation agreement has been drafted and is currently at the Attorney General’s Office for verification. That agreement is set to be signed with the Government of Estonia, on the e-government solutions interoperability framework referred to as X-Road.
Government institutions started official websites after Namibia’s e-Governance Policy was gazetted in 2005, even though several websites have now become dormant or non-user friendly.
---
Autor(en)/Author(s): Shinovene Immanuel
Quelle/Source: The Namibian, 15.10.2013
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
