Government wants another 40 online public services

The government wants to have an additional 40 online public services in the next two years, IT Minister Austin Gatt told an IBM seminar IT Optimisation Solutions For Open Environments.

Forty services are already online.

The minister said a public call for expressions of interest for the new eGovernment Alliance programme has been made.

Dr Gatt said Malta's eGovernment programme has been recognised by the EU as the second most extensive in Europe and the third most sophisticated. Several services and technologies were considered best practice models for other European countries.

He said this eGovernment alliance was being forged in an attempt to attain a more rapid rollout of eGovernment services and reduce drastically the time-consuming element which characterised the process of making calls for proposals through the normal channels.

It was also envisaged that through this alliance, less was spent on each eGovernment service, using budgets to deliver more services.

This alliance should provide the local industry with the visibility to adequately plan in order to register a steady stream of business and boost outsourcing while paving the way towards the delivery of an inclusive eGovernment, Dr Gatt said.