The ICT Advisor in the President's Office Pius Ndayambaje made the revelation during an ICT validation workshop on the implementation of E-Government Strategies and Action Plans for Rwanda at the Hotel Novotel Umubano. Ndayambaje said the new body would manage the implementation of the second phase of the ICT plan codenamed Electronic Government (E-Government) system which is due from 2006 to 2010.
"The Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) was started in 2001 but during its five years of existence achieved only 26% of its plan, which was against government's expectations," Ndayambaje lamented.
He said NICT would supervise RITA and other institutions with a view to strengthen them, while maintaining that RITA is a technical body. He said that the implementation of NICT is to supervise ministries because RITA authority was below that of ministries.
He said that besides enhancing better communication, E-Government was a way of improving the government's administrative efficiency, effectiveness and productivity as well as information provision and service delivery to the public.
"E-Government is intended to improve the social and economic development of the society and that is why there should be a supervisory body (NICT) to coordinate the system where ministers will also play a big role," Ndayambaje pointed out.
He disclosed that the first phase failed because of lacking enough information and human resources. He however expressed optimism that things would change in the second phase since there was strong political will and expertise, a factor affecting the E-Government system in other countries.
Autor: Francine Batamuliza
Quelle: AllAfrica, 06.07.2005
