icegov2012 proceedings

4.6 Computerisation of Railway Ticketing System
Under one of the early e-government projects the Ministry of
Communication computerised the railway seat reservation and
ticketing system nationwide. In operation since 1996 this is now
being expanded to e-ticketing where the passengers of inter-city
trains will be able to purchase electronic ticket using mobile
phones and other devices. This would help rail users to avoid
hassle of travelling all the way to train stations and waiting in long
queues for collecting tickets.
4.7 Automation of Internal Processes: The
Bangladesh Bank
While the drives for process automation can be found in virtually
every public entity, the Bangladesh Bank is among the handful of
agencies that have been successful in integrating ICT in its core
business processes. As such all aspects of its operation including
internal management, export receipts and import payments and
monitoring and supervision of commercial banks have been
automated. It has also made a significant progress with electronic
banking through the introduction of automated check clearance
and e-payment gateway, online money transfers and payment of
utility bills via the internet.
4.8 HRM Database, Ministry of Public Administration
The Ministry of Establishment - recently renamed as the Ministry
of Public Administration was among the first to computerise part
of its internal operation. The Personnel Management Information
System (PMIS) is an online database that covers information of all
class I officers of the government of Bangladesh. It has shown
immense benefits for the ministry as well as the concerned
officials. The supervisory authority uses the database for
personnel management functions including the management of
their annual confidential reports (ACRs). The respective officer
can access his or her personal data sheet (PDS); it also allows
him/her to request updating personal information to reflect
changes to situation such as completion of a training program.
This also helps them to track their career development and
provide regular information on career opportunities.
4.9 Process Automation, NBR
As a result of the successful implementation of a number of
donor-funded projects like Customs Administration
Modernisation Project, Excise, Taxes and Customs Data
Computerisation Project and Modernisation and Automation
Project, much of the core businesses of the National Board of
Revenue (NBR) have already been automated. Thus NBR has
recorded a considerable success in its operations and objectives.
For example 90% of country’s trade are now fully automated
which reduces the cost of doing business on the one hand and
facilitates trade and commerce on the other. This has also
contributed to reduce tax evasion raising governmental revenue
considerably. Significant progress has also been made with
regard to e-taxation especially filing of tax returns by individuals
and small businesses.
4.10 E-Procurement
Currently under active implementation the eGP project seeks to
make public procurement system efficient, transparent and
accountable. This would allow the entire cycle of procurement
decisions and actions from the opening of tender to evaluation of
bids and authorisation and final payment could be done
275
electronically. It will not only reduce time required in completing
tender procedures, it will also reduce corruption leading to
improvement in quality of government purchases. While the
government plans to bring the entire public procurement system
under e-procurement in phases, initially four government
departments/agencies that handle lion’s share of government
contracts - the Directorate of Roads & Highways, Local
Government Engineering Department, Bangladesh Water
Development Board and Rural Electrification Board - have been
selected for the first phase of e-tendering pilot project (Daily
Inqilab, 3 June, 2011).
These alongside many other similar schemes in various spheres of
public administration indicate a new trend where ICT is applied to
improve internal efficiency of the government agencies at the
same time making sure that the citizens and businesses get fast,
reliable and hassle-free services. Clearly, e-initiatives cover all
possible dimensions (G2C, G2B and G2G) of e-government and
offer enormous prospects to redesign governance and service
delivery in future. Progress already achieved, limited though
compared to other similar contexts, like online presence of
government agencies and interactive features is no less significant.
When considered against e-government maturity models, it is
evident that Bangladesh has progressed from information stage to
permit online interaction and transactions with government
agencies [for more on this, see 12, 3 & 4]. Such features allow
citizens to download various government forms, policies and
regulations and a range of other useful services at their own
convenience. Also there are cases where people are able to pay
utility bills, buy train tickets, register for admission into public
universities and get results of public examinations using mobile
phones. However, still benefits of e-government are limited due
mainly to factors like insufficient infrastructure development and
connectivity, inadequate interactive and transactional features and
widespread digital divide in the society.
5. BRIDGING DIGITAL DIVIDE: E-
GOVERNMENT AT LOCAL &
COMMUNITY LEVELS
Such problems however have not escaped attention of the policy
makers and other actors. This is evident in various efforts made to
find innovative solutions to such problems thereby ensuring the
benefits of e-government are widely shared. The Union
Information & Service Centres (UISCs) are cases in point. Driven
by the desire of achieving twin goals of Digital Bangladesh, i.e.,
connecting citizens and delivering services at their doorsteps
UISCs have been established throughout the country (Daily Star,
1 Nov, 2010). Conceived and implemented under the UNDP
funded A2I program, UISCs in fact represents a bold attempt at
bridging digital divide and connecting the rural communities to
the Internet. Equipped with computers and internet UISCs are
now functioning in all 4501 unions – the lowest tier of local
government offering useful services to citizens. The services
offered in UISCs range from email, word processing, printing
and scanning to access government forms, birth and death
registration information, passport and visa support and
information on public examinations to health, education and
disaster management. Modelled on the successful Gyandoot
project of Uttar Pradesh, India the UISCs are housed in in the
local Union Parishad office and managed by local entrepreneurs.
While the initial funding and hardware support came from the A2I