Global Overview Of The Internet

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

It is a matter of fact that in today’s world, the unprecedented progress made by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has triggered various benefits and as such, many countries want to make their presence felt in the realm of information and technology. Electronic government also known as e-government has grown to be one of the most evolving and significant applications of ICT in recent years. In simple words, e-government is about the provision of government services and information via the use of communication technologies. E-government pledges to emulate private sectors which are making full use of ICT to provide much better services. As such, several positive impacts on its citizens, the society and the government itself can be derived from the implementation of e-government services. Nevertheless, despite of the advantages of e-government, its implementation and adoption has been sparse in many countries trying to implement this concept.

The Republic of Mauritius, a small island state with approximately 1.3 million inhabitants, is nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Mauritius has been classified as the under lower-income group countries in the early days of its economic expansion. The island was relying on sugarcane as major source of income but things have changed. Nowadays Mauritius has been altered its economy and has become a service-oriented one with the tourism sector and ICT sector being one of the pillars of the economy. However, it is a sad truth that Mauritius is still lagging behind other countries in terms of the ICT advancements. Driven by the ambition of building a modern and technologically advanced Mauritius, the government’s objectives are now to develop the country into a cyber island, whose mainstay would be its technological capabilities. The implementation of an effective e-government programme to cater for the growing needs of the Mauritian society has become a prime concern for the government of Mauritius.

E-government requires changing how officials think and act, how they view their jobs and how they share information among government departments, businesses and citizens. The electronic government concept will lead to re-engineering of business processes within individual agencies and across governments. This will allow the Government of Mauritius to enhance the delivery of its services to the Mauritian citizens. It is good to note the various efforts made by the government in this optic as it has embarked on many major computerization projects. In 1996, the National Computer Board (NCB) has launched "Government on the Internet Programme" and today all ministries have established an electronic presence. The Government Online Centre which hosts the Government portal is the gateway for the delivery of services. In parallel, the Government Intranet System will facilitate exchange of information between ministries and departments. Moreover, various administrative and legal frameworks have been implemented to allow the e-government concept to be put into operation effectively such as Data Protection Act, Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, ICTA Act amongst others.

Problem Statement

The ICT sector, considered as being one of the most dynamic sectors in the world holds enormous promises for Mauritius. It now forms part of the foundation of the Mauritian economy and the government of Mauritius has already applied the concept of e-government to try to tap in the various advantages that it provides. As a matter of fact, to be able to reap those benefits, the e-government programme must be adopted, implemented and used efficiently and effectively. Moreover, the end users must be ready to make that paradigm shift from the traditional way of using government services to that of the electronic way; they must also possess the various Information and Technology (IT) knowledge to make full use of the system correctly. However, at the rear of the hi-tech glamour of the e-government conceptualization lies a dirty truth. Indeed, E-government concepts have not always been a success story in many countries who implemented it and many questions are raised concerning its efficiency and effectiveness. In a survey carried out on 40 e-government scheme, there was 35% that failed totally, 50% partially failed but only a minimal percentage of 15% succeeded (Heeks, 20003). Additionally, many people despite living in a computerized world are not computer literates. In these circumstances, all the effort and cost associated in setting up an e-government system would prove to be futile. Mauritius having already embarked on various projects concerning e-government will need to assess its effectiveness and decide on whether to continue to invest in this technology or to revert back to the conventional way of providing governmental service.

This proposed research will be used to shed light on the various benefits and drawbacks of implementing e-government in Mauritius and whether it is viewed as a potential to be harnessed or not.

Aims and Objectives

To maintain the cadence with the constantly changing world of computerization and digitalization, the government of Mauritius should not only update the system but also try to instill some quality in the e-government services that they provide as e-government is viewed by many as an effective tool for service and information delivery. The aim of this research proposal would be to assess if e-government in Mauritius is a potential to be harnessed or not. This aim may be accomplished by achieving the following objectives:

Outline the variety of advantages that an effective e-government programme may offer

Highlight the main deficiencies that hinder the proper operation of the e-government programme

Analyse if the public sector staff possess the required skills to face the challenge of e-government

Assess if the end users of is ready to accept and use the various services provided

Literature Review

Global Overview of the internet

The internet has become the backbone of the emerging information age. The latter has engendered the development of the concept of global village. The whole world seems to have shrunk down into small rural communities where there is the sharing of culture and knowledge. Never before has the world known so much sharing of cultural diversity and awareness, because of the internet, individuals from all around the world has had access to this information. It has allowed altering people’s mentality and perceptions about many things. In fact, through the internet, communication has been made much easier. Furthermore, connectivity is no more a problem with the introduction of Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and the concept mobile phone, therefore inducing more and more people to venture in the online world. Consequently, this phenomenon has induced businesses to rethink about their strategies and this has brought about the concept of e-business, which comprises the trade of goods and services by the use of the internet as a platform. Aware of the growing influence of the internet and the application of e-business, the government also had to come up with something in view of benefiting from the various advantages that the internet can bring and this is where the e-government concept emanates.

E-government concept

E-government uses the internet and other information technologies to deliver customized services that meet the needs of citizens and businesses (Microsoft, 2001). Many definitions have been propounded by many instructions and researchers to describe the concept of e-government. For examples:

"Electronic government means using the internet to delivery quick and interactive public services to citizens thereby achieving productivity gains in the public administration (Erkki Liikanen, 2001).

E-government is the making use of information and communication technologies in view of improving the activities and services of government and delivering services over the internet (Heeks, 2004).

Electronic government refers to the use of information and communication technologies, and particularly the Internet, as a tool to achieve better government (OECD, 2003).

E-government offers an opportunity for the government to reinvent themselves, get closer to the citizens and forge alliances and partnership with diverse communities of interest or expertise within the context of national development agendas. Being cited as an emerging concept and practice, electronic government seeks to realise processes and structures for harnessing the potentialities of ICT at various levels of the government and public sector. Transparent and interactive administrations bring citizens closer to government and stimulate participation in the democratic process. On one hand, citizens are seen as well informed and better served. On the other hand, they are also regarded as participative citizens; E- democracy is thus a natural part of the e-government strategy and it implies putting the citizen at the heart of government. Placing citizens at the centre challenges the public sector to innovate. E-government is therefore a driver for change in back offices in administrations. However, e-government is not a short-cut to economic development or budget savings. It is a process that presents costs and risks, both financial and political. If not well conceived and implemented, e-government initiatives can waste resources, fail in their promise to deliver useful services and thus increase public frustration.

Features of E- government

Citizen centered

Electronic government means placing the citizen at the centre, creating new opportunities for people to access information, use public services and influence policy decisions. The citizen should be only a few clicks away from the resources that he/she may need.

Integrated

With e-government, networks are being built among agencies and jurisdictions allowing an efficient, integrated response to public policy issues and citizen requests for services. E-government also includes back office technologies that link agencies and departments which enhance the ability of government workers to share and access information

Open

E-government is open because it is based on technologies that will allow information to be communicated universally between different users on any platform or device

Pervasive

Because electronic government will provide tangible, widely needed services, it will encourage people who might not otherwise use the internet to go online. In this way, government will help to bridge digital divide.

Partnership driven

E-government is creating new opportunities for public administrations to work in close partnership with the private sector to develop online systems that respond directly to the needs of citizens and businesses.