The government has commissioned the Malta Information Technology Agency to draw up a national strategy for the digital economy which is to be implemented over a period of years.
The strategy has to complement other strategies and plans for the government’s political programme to be implemented.
During a visit to Mita this morning, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness Edward Zammit Lewis spoke on the importance of strengthening digital literacy, involving the public in the agency’s operations and establishing partnerships with businesses and the private sector to continue achieving excellence in the ICT sector.
He said that Malta placed 35th in the UN’s e-government development index, so more investment was needed to improve the standing.
The government had to ensure that all benefits of the e-learning platform and interactive whiteboards in schools were taken. The government also had to implement its promise to provide fourth year student with a tablet.
Dr Zammit Lewis praised Mita for being a role model in how the public service should be structured and said it was a crucial agency in the government’s plant. It should reach out to the public who expected bureaucracy and queues to be eradicated.
E-government and e-democracy, he said, was for the public to be informed and form part of decision making processes.