MADINAH, 1 February 2003 — The implementation of e-government will depend on the readiness of government departments, the chairman of the working team for e-government said yesterday.
Speaking to Arab News, Prince Majed ibn Mashari highlighted the Commerce Ministry’s efforts to promote e-government.
He said some departments such as the Haj Ministry had made considerable progress in providing electronic services.
Prince Majed was talking to Arab News during a workshop on “Government without Papers” which concluded here on Thursday. He said a timetable had been set to complete the national e-government plan.
During the workshop some participants voiced doubts whether Saudi Telecom, which was to provide the necessary infrastructure, was capable of realizing the objective.
“There is no doubt that Saudi Telecom has a big role to play in boosting information technology and promoting e-government, and the company is exerting more efforts to provide better communication services,” Prince Majed said.
He pointed out that the workshop on e-government in Madinah was the first of its kind in the country. Madinah Governor Prince Muqrin took part in the discussions with keen interest, according to Prince Majed.
He said the Kingdom would make use of the experience of six countries — Malaysia, Canada, the United States, Britain, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates — in implementing e-government.
“We have conducted several field visits to Malaysia, which started implementing e-government several years ago,” the prince said.
The two-day workshop focused on the concept of e-government and development and automation of administrative work.
