E-Government Roadshow @ The Mall

In and out of internet access for the next week or so peeps…
So if I don’t see ya, have a great one ahead!

THE e-Government exhibition which was opened yesterday received good response from the public and fulfilled the objectives of raising awareness on the e-government initiative since its inception in 2000, according to vendors at the exhibit.

Acting Director of the e-Government National Centre, Azhar Hj Ahmad told The Brunei Times that the reason for setting up the exhibition was to promote the e-government initiative and provide understanding to the public in regards to what the government is trying to do.

“This is a fresh start for e-government in Brunei, as this exhibition is the first of its kind. We are expecting to showcase the Prime Minister’s Office as the executive office for e-government,” he said.

Azhar said that he was enthusiastic about more people coming to the exhibition over the next few days.

“I am pleased with the public’s response and interest on e-government initiatives today, and I hope that more people will come forth to ask questions during the exhibition,” he said.

System engineer Amri Wahid, from the e-Government National Centre said that he felt happy that people were actually asking about their department, as they were not aware of it before.

“Many people who came to our booth said that they were surprised with the existence of our department. Besides creating awareness about our department and its e-government initiatives, I hope that people may also be interested in joining our department,” he said, explaining that the role of their department (IT Human Resources) was to plan the career development for all IT government employees.

Hj Abd Kahar, a counsellor from the Syariah Department at the Ministry of Religious Affairs also had booth to create awareness among the public about the e-government’s initiative, to promote their website and kiosk.

He said: “I am glad that people are coming to our booth to ask about our website, as it is comprehensive and is user-friendly. Sometimes, it is hard to attend to everyone at our department face-to-face, and therefore by logging onto the website, they can access all the information they need.”

The counsellor added that many of the people that enquired about their website, were couples who were about to get married.

“They came to us because they wanted to know how to register their marriage online with us, and that it great because it is also a much easier process,” he explained.

A 44-year-old father, who wished to be called Anthony said that by visiting the exhibition, he learnt something about the e-government’s initiative in regards to the new upgrade of the driving licence.

“I think this new licensing system will be much better than the previous paper system. Through asking the representative of the Land Transport Department about the changes, I think this is a good improvement,” he said.

Businessman Pg Anak Hj Awadi Pg Anak Latifuddin expressed his interest with the e-government’s initiative, especially in the area of education.

“The incorporation of ICT into the school curriculum by the Ministry of Education is good for children because it is interactive,” he said

He also commented on the new licensing system, saying that it was a really good initiative by the government.

“Europe also has this system with the licence card, and it is much easier for everyone. It is great that our government has also introduced this practical system,” he said.

The e-government exhibition was inaugurated yesterday by the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dato Seri Paduka Eusoff Agaki Hj Ismail.

Running for three days at The Mall, the exhibition is aimed at raising public awareness on the progress of the e-government initiative, following the recent launching of the E-government Strategic Plan 2009-2014.

Some 14 government agencies as well as two from the private sector are showcasing their e-projects at the exhibition, which are designed to provide services that are “citizen centric”, according to a press statement from PMO.

The e-government initiative includes the establishment of a “one government portal”, which enhances the connectivity and interaction between the ministries and connects them through a parent network. The Brunei Times