Mampu to assist public sector in going online
The Star 10 June 2003  

THE Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) is coming out with a guide to help government departments go online.

It has also started work on a pilot portal where the public can retrieve information and paperwork by all government agencies. The site is expected to be operational before the end of the year.

Chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman told reporters this after opening The Government Leaders' Conference - Smart Partnership to Deliver the e­Government Promise, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"The blueprint is in its final stages of drafting and is expected to be out before the end of the year," he said.

He expects "challenges along the way" - although "things are pro­gressing" - and added that government servants should use information and communications technology (ICT) to improve delivery of services to the community.

Mampu will ensure all department implement the delivery system the proper way.

The conference, jointly organised by Mampu, the National Institute of Public Administration, the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry and Microsoft Knowledge Capital Centre Sdn Bhd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp), brought together senior government officials, industry solution providers and partners to discuss, share and understand the evolving technology landscape and the role of ICT in e-government strategy development and implementation.

Samsudin said following the recent announcement of the eco­nomic package, Mampu had made recommendations for improvement and changes in nine areas to enhance the government's delivery system to the public.

The recommendations are:

0 Support for, and facilitate, investment in the manufacturing sector, with the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority appointing special project officers to hand-hold and assist investors in obtaining all necessary approvals for projects until they are operational;

• Expediting the processing of, and approval for, building plans, and issue of certificates of fitness for occupation;

• Establishing a fast track system for land alienation and land use con­version, with the state economic planning units appointed as one­stop processing centres;

• The Department of Occupa­tional Safety and Health to improve the approval process for designs and installations, as well as for issuance of the certificate of fitness for machinery

•  Facilitating the application process for permits and business licenses;

• Implementing Electronic Data Interchange at all ports and airports by October, and paperless services by April next year;

• Implementing a customs golden client programme to accord green lane privileges at entry and exit points to traders who contribute substantially to tax revenue and have a good record of tax payments;

• Providing online submissions, validations and payments of excise duty, sales tax and service tax; and

• Reducing processing time for stamping documents through e­stamping.

"The challenge is for the relevant agencies to implement (the recommendations) in a timely manner to support the government's overall agenda to strengthen the economy and minimize any fallout from the global environment," Samsudin said.