Government sets up agency to drive new IT strategy

The government is setting up a Malta Information Technology Agency that will drive the implimentation of the National IT Strategy, the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications announced today.

The new organisation will absorb MITTS Ltd and a range of functions previously carried out directly by the ministry.

"The government felt the need for a permanent Agency to drive IT within the public sector itself and the wider community to ensure continuity in the effort which has since 2000 been led and managed directly by the Minister responsible for Information Technology. The absence of a permanent structure within the public sector to manage this important policy area was a threat to the development of these policies in the long term," the ministry said.

The government has also decided to empower the Malta Communications Authority to take over from the ministry the direct implementation of the efforts to upgrade Malta’s external ICT environment; to eliminate the digital divide; and to promote e-commerce.

"The MCA is already endowed with expertise in these areas and the allocation to it of these responsibilities will eliminate existing fragmentation of resources and produce more effective results," the IT Ministry said.

"The two organisations – MITA and MCA – under the leadership of the ministry responsible for IT and Communications are expected to build on the successes achieved so far by the Ministry that has led the transformation of Malta into a world class model of excellence in the area, a magnet for international investment and a genuinely e-inclusive society."

The government also announced that Claudio Grech (currently the Chief Executive Officer of SmartCity Malta Ltd will be the non-executive chairman of MITA.

Minister Austin Gatt thanked the outgoing Chairman of MITTS Ltd, David Spiteri Gingell, for his sterling service to the organisation and his commitment to the development of ICT in government. Mr Spiteri Gingell resigned from his position to pursue a career in the private sector consultancy field.