Path: Info/Press centre/News/The Czech Republic should learn lessons from e-government projects around the world
The Czech Republic should learn lessons from e-government projects around the world
The ICT SUMMIT, which was organised in cooperation with the specialist magazine Inside, was held on Tuesday 23rd October 2007 at the Brno Exhibition Centre as part of the international trade fairs INVEX and DIGITEX. Miroslav Řihák, Managing Director of ANECT, was one of the speakers at this conference and with reference to intended e-government projects in the Czech Republic he highlighted some successful and some not so successful examples from around the world.
„The new government team have brought with them a new concept of e-government; a concept which has both supporters and opponents," said Miroslav Řihák, Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of ANECT, which was a partner of the conference. „I don't want to evaluate this policy but it is important to note that we are not the only country that is devoting attention to large e-government projects. I must also add that not all the results have been beneficial for the public," added Řihák.
As an example he mentioned the project for electronic identity cards in China. This uses modern technology in the form of non-contact chip cards which can hold over 15 items of information about a person and can be read remotely. The problem, however, is that this can be done without the knowledge or approval of the card holder. What's more, there are no services for the citizens associated with these cards.
„Experience from elsewhere in the world also shows that less can often mean more," continued Řihák. As an example he mentioned Ireland where the public administration, for example, pre-complete tax returns with the information it has available. Taxpayers and companies do not then have to document this information. In Sweden there is a project of non-stop customs clearance under which a trusted company can cross the border without checks and customs formalities can be performed over the internet or by SMS.
„There are, however, countries that conceive the whole issue of e-government in a much more comprehensive way. It is from these countries in particular that the Czech Republic should draw inspiration," added Řihák. In his opinion Austria, with its printable electronic signature, has gone furthest down this road. Using this, an electronic document printed, for example, on a home printer has the same legal force as the original document with electronic signature.
The conference INVEX INSIDE ICT SUMMIT was designed primarily for managers of companies in the area of information technology, telecommunications and all their customers. In addition to Miroslav Řihák, speakers presenting their thoughts included Petr Koubský, Editor in Chief of Inside, Ivan Langer, Minister of the Interior, Jiří Devát, Vice-Chairman of the Board and Vice-President for Information Technology of České aerolinie and Lubomír Lízal, director of the CERGE-EI institute.
