Public Services Online launched
A project aimed at enhancing the knowledge and use of eGovernment services
Yesterday MITA launched a new project – Public Services Online – aimed at enhancing knowledge and take-up of eGovernment services. The project was launched by MITA’s Executive Chairman Tony Sultana together with Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Hon. Jose’ Herrera and Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar.
The project, co-financed through the European Social Funds, is being coordinated by MITA together with other stakeholders including CDRT, various Ministries and Digitaliseringsstyrelsen (the Danish Government Digital Agency).
The project is divided into three pillars: 1) Research on why citizens use or do not use eGovernment services and what are the features that they would like to see in such services; 2) Training to various public sector officers who on a daily basis interact with citizens or businesses at their respective ministries or departments. Moreover, a workshop will be organised for key decision makers within Government to discuss the strategy ahead for Government in leveraging technology for simplification of public administration and the provisioning of the next generation of eGovernment services; 3) An awareness campaign on a number of eGovernment services, including tutorials on how to use such services.
Out of the hundreds of eGovernment services, 26 services that target citizens as well as businesses have been selected. These include eGovernment services from the public registry, ETC, Inland Revenue and VAT, agriculture, social security and the servizz.gov site.
MITA’s Executive Chairman Tony Sultana said that “the launch of new eGovernment services is important but it is high time that we enhance knowledge among society about the services that are already in place and most importantly the benefits which they offer.”
From his end, the Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar said that this project is part of the Public Service renewal process. He said that the Public Service can be much more efficient especially with the introduction of new systems, where citizens will be waiting less for any required service. With the launch of this project, together with the launch of the first one-stop-shop later this year, we shall be giving a new mission to the Public Service. He said that Government needs to make it easier for more people to use eGovernment services and one way of doing this is to reduce the need of the eID credentials in most services.
Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Hon. Jose Herrera made reference to the report ‘Indices of Economy and Digital Society’ published at the end of February by the European Commission, where Malta classified in the 15th place out of the 28 EU member states. Hon Herrera said that “although eGovernment services in Malta are at the forefront for their availability and sophistication, only 27% of those using the internet make use of them. The EU’s average is of 33%.”
He also made reference to a study by the NSO which shows that 81% of households in Malta and Gozo have access to the Internet, whilst 73% of those aged between 16 and 74 make regular use of the Internet (70% of which get connected either via mobile/tablet). “This is very encouraging and it also shows the need of launching this project today: we have a large amount of people that use the Internet, we have services that are available and sophisticated and now we shall be increasing awareness and enhancing knowledge on what eGovernment services are available to both public officials and to society in general,” concluded Hon Herrera.