IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

After Malta’s egovernment services were classified as the second most sophisticated and the third most extensive in the European Union, the Minister said that the achieved levels of success will be improved further.

The previous Customer Care System was launched in 2002 and provided citizens with a single point of reference for communicating with various Government departments and entities.

The previous customer care system was launched in 2002 and provided a single point of reference for communicating with various government departments and entities.

Each new identity card to be introduced next year would contain an electronic chip containing the individual's health record, Communications Minister Austin Gatt told Parliament yesterday.

Moving the second reading of the Central Registry Bill, he said the information would be linked to Mater Dei Hospital, health clinics and, in time, to general practitioners' clinics. Eventually the individual's banking information could be stored on the ID card, the use of which could be extended as an alternative to the passport and even the credit card, where small amounts were concerned.

The "e-applications" system, which is accessed at www.mepa.gov.mt, allows clients to view application details, submit and pay for applications online and send or receive correspondence digitally.

It also translates into savings in terms of time and resources, the authority said.

This would enable the government to meet new business requirements and improve the overall human resources management process. The government’s total investment would be in the region of €2.3 million over five years.

Addressing a news conference at the Investment, Industry and IT Ministry in Valletta, Minister Austin Gatt said that before the launch of this service, people had to look for calls for applications in the Government Gazette. “It’s not the best reading material available,” he joked.

He said the major reason for setting up the portal was to make government jobs more accessible to people.

People are asked to register for the service, which is free of charge, through the VAT Department website www.vat.gov.mt.

This eDLS system aims at enhancing efficiency in services currently offered by the Licensing Department within the Transport Authority (ADT) said Minister Mugliett. It has been developed on the same lines as the eVera system by which one can renew a vehicle’s license online.

Little may be known about the full content and functionality of the services on offer. Chances are you have been using e-Gov services without knowing or that you may have looked for an existing e-Gov service and never found it. Here are a few examples.

Over 28,000 cards were issued this year, 14 per cent of them in the month between 15 July and 14 August. This means that nearly 40 per cent of the population holds a European Health Insurance Card, which entitles people visiting all EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, to medical emergency treatment as if covered by the respective country’s social security services.

maltaNET's e-payment gateway is the leading e-commerce engine in Malta, providing transaction clearing to a number of local and international customers. It also handles all e-government transactions.

Tax payers who send their PT/SSC Form by the 31st August will avoid paying 1% interest and/or 1% additional contribution per month.