When politics fails technology

We have come to rely on technology much more than we really think. Just imagine every machine switched off. It would effectively mean switching off our contemporary way of life.

The same goes for government. It cannot function without using the various elements of technology, from computer systems for its internal administration, to the communication systems with the general public.

ICT continues to promise great efficiencies and benefits, not least to governments which, in the current economic climate, seek to maximize benefits while spending a dime less.

The Maltese government is no exception. Over the past three decades we have seen a constant intensification of the government’s use of ICT, starting in the 1980s (contrary to what some want you to believe), then accelerating in the 1990s and the last few years.

Just a few months ago government inaugurated the new data centre in Sta Venera. Operated by the Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA), it cost €7 million and is supposed to cater for the current and future ICT needs of the country, especially through e-government services.

Over the past 10 years we have seen significant investment in ICT in government and in e-government. Around 90% of government services are accessible online, and indeed this has been recognised by foreign reports and surveys on e-government in Europe. However take-up is still low and growing slowly, with just €51 million worth of online transactions last year.

In the meantime almost half of the Maltese population is on Facebook. This goes to show that Maltese people are online.

Did the investment in ICT throughout all these years translate into an efficient and effective government? This is the most important question we need to ask when we assess the impact of ICT on government.

The answer is: yes and no.

It’s true; government services are more accessible than ever online. Public employees have computers and e-mail to work on, albeit they are still based on Microsoft Windows XP launched 10 years ago.

But this is where politics starts to fail the use of technology. The road to administrative hell is paved with good technology, we might say.

The present administration is investing in e-health, but this is no use to the 7,500 patients who last year were kept in the corridors of the ‘state of the art’ Mater Dei Hospital’ because of lack of space in the wards.

Government has just issued an open call to install a high-speed internet network in Malta just a few days after it secretly signed ACTA, the international agreement that puts in danger the freedoms and privacy of Internet.  Indeed Internet needs electricity to function, but we are still at the mercy of the obsolete Marsa Power Stations and the whims of its infamous Boiler no. 7.  All the while, the ‘investment’ in the Delimara Power Station is based on Heavy Fuel Oil rather than more eco-friendly fuels.

Speaking of electricity, the new data centre in Sta Venera will cater for the ARMS billing system and the smart meters being installed around the country will ensure more efficiency in the energy grid. Too bad this will not make the hefty utility bills more bearable.

While MEPA has a very good online applications system that was finalist in the European e-government competition of 2009, a recent Eurobarometer confirmed that most Maltese think MEPA is one of the most corrupt institutions in Malta.

Last year government launched a new e-procurement system. This was a welcome initiative for it saves a lot on the paperwork done by bidders along the years. But this is no use when the local media continues to report instances of direct orders being awarded to companies with strong sympathies to the party in government.

One of the latest initiatives is e-learning, with a new e-learning system for Primary and Secondary Schools being installed right now. While it’s a very important step for our education system, it’s a pity that the whole exercise has been carried out without the Malta Union of Teachers and the teachers themselves being invited on board right from the beginning.

These few examples all go to show that what really matters is not how much you spend on technology, but how you use it, and whether it is of benefit to the end user. If we don't exploit technology towards this end, then we are just using technology for technology’s sake: an unforgivable waste of taxpayers’ money.