Staff Reporter
29 July 2005
Windhoek — A TWO-member business delegation from Oracle African Operations, one of the giant IT companies in Africa, yesterday held talks with a senior politician in efforts to assist Namibia formulate its E-governance policy.
The team, led by Husam Dajani, the vice president of Oracle Middle East Africa met with Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila.
E-governance is the use of information and communication technologies in public administration combined with organisational change and new skills, in order to improve public and democratic processes and to further strengthen support to the public sector.
Considering the fact that Namibia has covered its first and second phases of its implementation process, the vice president of Oracle Middle East Africa Dajani told New Era that his visit is intended to find ways in which they can help train local people on technological advancement. Worldwide, there is a great demand for skills in this field and empowering Namibian people with skills would ensure that they compete at an international level and reduce the importation of foreign skills to the country.
Amathila indicated that E-governance started in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) before it spread to other governmental ministries. Its aim is to support and simplify administration, service delivery and interaction between the different parties including the government, citizens and businesses by using electronic means to improve these services to ensure that the political, economic and administrative systems are appropriately supported to better manage the affairs of the country at all levels of society.
At the meeting, it was agreed that Oracle African Operations would soon send a trainer who will coach 10 local unemployed school leavers in the field of IT and E-governance.
Amathila requested that five more people also receive training to become local trainers in the near future. Though she could not specify where exactly the 10 would be taken from region-wise, those to be selected would be expected to undergo interviews, she told New Era.
"We hope that by the year 2030, we would reach our target, to have the entire transaction completed electronically. The aim is to make life easier for everyone in the future," she said optimistically.
The visiting delegation on a two-day mission would also visit the Ministry of Finance, where it is involved with the Financial Management System. The purpose is to automate the financial systems and the entire operations of the Namibian government, said Dajani.
Apart from ensuring that there is efficient service delivery, E-governance would ensure that citizens are well informed and connected and hence a stronger society and economy.
Most businesses interact with the Namibian government and it is felt there is a need that administrative information and requirements be provided electronically. In other words, E-governance would ensure that government provides its services to its citizens on a 24-hour and seven-day basis.
Needless to say, the system would guarantee sound record management.
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