onlineinformationdisclosure.docVIP

ONLINE INFORMATION DISCLOSURE By Roberto Panzardi – LAC/PREM World Bank Group How Can E-Government Enable Information Disclosure? Government is probably the biggest collector, processor and custodian of information of any sector of society. While government uses this information itself, commercial interests also need to have access to it because of its value (either inherently or with further processing), or because it relates to corporate rights, responsibilities or regulation. Citizens and citizens organisations are interested in information which bears on their entitlements and obligations, or on the performance of government, while researchers and journalists are potentially interested in all information at every level of detail. From the Governments perspective, information provision falls into three categories: information that government wishes to disseminate; information that Government collects for itself but may make available for use by others; information that Government is required to supply (e.g. public requests or responses to journalist’s enquiries, questions from legislators, etc.). E-Government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost reductions. E-government can be also defined as the use of ICT to promote the dissemination of information about political processes and public services and to facilitate both online interaction and transactions. The term e-government potent