The attraction of 200 new companies to Malta, the creation of 4,000 new ICT-related jobs and the introduction of electronic identity cards are just three of the 182 targets proposed by the government in its ICT strategy for 2008-2010.

The government yesterday published a long list of targets in line with its vision to make Malta a centre of excellence in the area of information and communication technology by 2015.

Addressing a National Information Society Advisory Council meeting, Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt said the government's plans were ambitious and much more difficult to attain than the targets set out in the first ICT strategy because now the standards were much higher than they were three years ago.

Malta had come a long way and has managed to achieve all the targets set in the first ICT strategy for 2006 and 2007.

The My Potential scheme had been "very successful" in attracting all those who wanted to start a career in the ICT sector.

The 182 targets are aimed at strengthening Malta's position in the ICT sector. For example, the government wants to introduce measures to increase the number of ICT graduates - who have already risen from 280 to over 600 in three years - to 1,500 by 2010.

Another target envisages that by 2010, 500 government clerks will be assigned to other duties because the service they give will be provided online.

One ambitious objective is to attract 200 companies to Malta from places such as the Far East and the Indian sub-continent and, thanks to this investment, generate another 4,000 ICT-related jobs.

Dr Gatt insisted on the need for a "collective effort" to make broadband cheaper, saying that, according to research, the price is one of the main reasons why internet penetration in Maltese households is not higher. Latest figures show that 60 per cent of households have an internet connection.

Following the opening of the Mater Dei Hospital, the government was now aiming to make patient history available on an e-health system that would also be accessible by every general practitioner from the comfort of their clinic.

Furthermore, the government was aiming to have electronic identity cards available by 2010.

Dr Gatt said all of the government's targets, now open for consultation, were "achievable".

The government is expecting the advisory council's feedback on the proposals by December 8 before these are presented to the Cabinet for approval.