Asian states to step up 'eGovernment' spending: report

Asian states to step up 'eGovernment' spending: report

Agence France-Presse
Singapore

Annual spending by Asia-Pacific governments on the electronic
delivery of services is projected to exceed US$1.4 billion in
four years' time, an independent report said Thursday.

Governments in the region will assign a higher priority to
spending in this area after realizing that it can sharpen an
economy's competitive edge, technology research house
International Data Corp. (IDC) said.

The report on "eGovernment spending" forecast that $1.48
billion will be invested in 2007, from $880.1 million last year.

Asian government agencies are offering more services via the
Internet, including payment of taxes and processing of documents.

"Asian governments are increasing eGovernment investments
because they feel a pressure to compete with other governments,
and they have seen past investments provide real benefits," IDC
said.

"Importantly, eGovernment initiatives can also be a
determining factor when foreign investors look to invest within
Asia," it said.

The report said the region's leading "eGovernments" are in
Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Apart from the willingness to invest in IT, it is equally
important that the government can provide leadership support, IDC
said.

"eGovernment is a technology proposition that shakes up
traditional bases of power in order to deliver new levels of
efficiency and effectiveness," IDC said.

"It takes a committed leadership to weather the political in-
fighting that can swell up during eGovernment project
implementations," it said.