A meeting between government officials, including Vice Premier Simon Chang (張善政), and non-governmental open data community groups campaigning for greater government transparency was held yesterday in response to Premier Mao Chi-kuo’s (毛治國) promise last month of better communications with online communities.
The meeting was streamed live online with live comments and included representatives from at least 13 non-governmental organizations, such as the Open Data League.
Chang, who was also a former minister of Science and Technology, said the project to promote open data has been under way for at least three years since it was passed in a Cabinet meeting, adding that the premier’s instructions that he take charge of the project shows Mao has prioritized the issue.
Open Data League president Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that while the premier has been championing the principles supporting open and free government data, clear government regulations are still lacking, and without them, communication with government agencies on data-release issues could be problematic.
The league called for a provision to be issued on the authorization of open data within three months and the eventual passing of an open-data law.
Peng also commented on the group of National Development Council workers who are running the project.
“It seems that [fewer than 10 people] are in charge of the task, while the number could be 40 or 50 in the EU or South Korea,” he said.
The perception is that the government seems to take open data as simply “releasing data, while other countries are already developing an API [application programming interface] to enable members of the public to find the information they want,” Peng said.
Other suggestions from the open data community include encouraging officials and civil servants to upgrade their knowledge of open data, accelerating the opening of data sets and engaging in global exchange and cooperation.
The vice premier said that creating the accompanying legislation would take time, but an action program called “Internet Wisdom and a New Taiwan,” in which open data and big data are crucial categories, is to be released in April.
Chang said the reason the legislation might be a long way off is due to public misgivings over possible infringements of human rights and leaks of personal information.
Chang said he has required ministers, deputy ministers, department and bureau chiefs, as well as Ministry of Culture and Information Bureau officials to attend lectures on the matter, agreeing that “a brain change” of people in charge is necessary.
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