Many government bureaucracies are set to be transformed into "electronic windows" where the public would be able to access information on complicated bureaucratic procedures at any time -- if a six-year national project goes according to plan.
The Cabinet's Science and Technology Advisory Group (STAG,
The idea for the e-Taiwan Project was prompted by similar projects carried out in other countries, including the US' Framework For Global Electronic Commerce, UK Online, e-Japan, Singapore's Information 21 and South Korea's e-Korea.
These countries share the view that the "electronic transformation" of the average person is most potently expressed in the fast-evolving medium that is called the Internet.
"The government should allocate infrastructure budgets not only for physical constructions, but also for IT-related infrastructure, which is the most useful tool for a country that wants to enhance its future competitiveness," said Minister Without Portfolio Tsay Ching-yen (
Tsay said that the project's primary aim should be to transform much of the government into an electronic format -- and more than NT$16 billion would be used to that aim.
"An integrated-services platform that is currently being established for the `electronic government' will make it more convenient for the public to process complicated procedures such as paying tax, registering for residence, applying for documents and getting official information," said Pearl Sun (孫珍如), director of the e-Taiwan Project Office, which answers to the STAG.
The total cost that will be saved by processing procedures electronically, Sun said, will be about NT$100 billion.
Sun said that 600 kinds of documents would be transformed into paperless and time-saving ones through the e-Government project.
Officials say the efficiency of the government would be greatly promoted by using information technology.
Internet meetings that use Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) would save time and make cross-agency communication more efficient, according to the officials.
The e-Taiwan Project is part of the Cabinet's NT$2.6 trillion six-year national development project that is aimed at turning Taiwan into a "green silicon island."
Officials of the Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday that a project called "ez-Life" will involve the production of digital motion pictures -- as is in high demand with the new "electronic society."
The GIO therefore plans to encourage motion-picture producers to produce more movies that portray the "Taiwan spirit," because most digital products are completely Western in content.
"We hope to see our own culture being portrayed in entertainment products," said Peggy Chou (周蓓姬), director of the GIO's department of Motion Picture Affairs.
STAG officials expect that the demand for professional people in the e-Business field will increase in the following years.
"Generally speaking, the e-Taiwan project will create more than 20,000 job opportunities," Sun said.
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