September 13, 2005

Representatives from Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Serbia and Armenia met in Sinaia for the region’s first-ever conference focusing on practical applications of information technology in local public administration. The conference was hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Romania’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).

USAID Program Officer John Riordan opened the conference Monday morning with brief remarks, and MCIT Minister Zsolt Nagy delivered the keynote address at dinner Monday evening.

The main goal of the conference was to help participants learn to identify, develop, and finance local e-government projects, and to establish a regional network of e-government experts and implementers who will continue to work together in the future.

The conference was part of USAID’s Romanian Information Technology Initiative (RITI), which began in May, 2002, with activities designed to support the MCIT and the National Agency for Communications (ANRC) in creating a sound legal and regulatory framework for developing information technology and communication services in Romania and the implementation of the Universal Service Law. These activities, known as, RITI/Legal, are implemented by Internews, a non-governmental organization based in the United States.

“E-government” refers to the practice of making government services available to the public via the Internet. It includes the ability to make tax payments on-line and to access public documents and laws, among many other applications. Not only does it help local administrations respond to the needs of citizens and businesses more quickly and effectively, but it has also become an important tool for fighting corruption at a very practical level.

“Romania is well positioned to take a leading role as a model for the region,” Mr. Riordan said yesterday. “With support from the U.S. Government, the European Union, and the World Bank, the MCIT and ANRC have already implemented several successful e-government projects to reform public administration and improve its services to citizens and businesses.”

In addition to RITI/Legal, the U.S. Government through USAID also supports a program called RITI/Access, which is implemented by the Academy for Educational Development. This RITI program works to increase access to and utilization of information and communication technology by Romanian public and private sector organizations. Representatives of RITI/Access also participated in the conference.

For more information, please contact: Letitia Dumitru/ USAID - 021 316 1222

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13 Septembrie 2005

Timp de doua zile, Sinaia a gazduit prima conferinta regionala dedicata aplicatiilor practice ale tehnologiei informatiei in administratia publica, la care au participat reprezentanti din Romania, Ungaria, Turcia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Letonia, Serbia si Armenia. Conferinta a fost gazduita de Agentia Statelor Unite pentru Dezvoltare Internationala (USAID) si de Ministerul Comunicatiilor si Tehnologiei Informatiei din Romania (MCTI).

Directorul de programe in cadrul USAID, John Riordan, a tinut luni dimineata un discurs in deschiderea conferintei. La randul sau, Ministrul Comunicatiilor si Tehnologiei Informatiei, Zsolt Nagy, a sustinut o prelegere luni seara, la dineul care a incheiat acest eveniment.

Scopul principal al conferintei a fost acela de a ajuta participantii sa invete sa identifice, sa dezvolte si sa finanteze proiecte locale de guvernare electronica si sa stabileasca o retea regionala de experti in domeniul guvernarii electronice, care sa continue sa lucreze impreuna.

Conferinta se inscrie in cadrul Initiativei IT din Romania (RITI), proiect al USAID, initiat in mai 2002. Activitatile din cadrul acestui proiect vin in sprijinul Ministerului Comunicatiilor si Tehnologiei Informatiei si al Autoritatii Nationale de Reglementare in Comunicatii (ANRC), pentru a crea un cadrul legal pentru dezvoltarea tehnologiei informatiei si a serviciilor de comunicatie din Romania si pentru implementarea Legii Serviciului Universal. Aceste activitati, cunoscute sub numele de RITI/Legal, sunt implementate de catre Internews, o organizatie non-profit, cu sediul in Statele Unite.

“Guvernarea electronica” se refera la serviciile guvernamentale care sunt puse la dispozitia publicului prin intermediul internet-ului. Printre altele, acest lucru include si posibilitatea de plata on-line a impozitelor si accesul la legi si documente publice. Cu ajutorul acestui concept, administratiile locale pot raspunde nevoilor persoanelor fizice si juridice mai rapid si mai eficient; in acelasi timp, el reprezinta un instrument important in lupta impotriva coruptiei, la un nivel foarte practic.

“Romania are o pozitie foarte buna si isi poate asuma rolul de lider, ca model pentru aceasta regiune”, a declarat John Riordan ieri. “Cu sprijinul Guvernului Statelor Unite, al Uniunii Europene si al Bancii Mondiale, Ministerul Comunicatiilor si Tehnologiei Informatiei si Autoritatea Nationala pentru Reglementare in Comunicatii au implementat deja cateva proiecte de guvernare electronica, pentru a reforma adminstratia publica locala si pentru a-si imbunatati serviciile pentru persoanele fizice si cele juridice.”

In afara de RITI/Legal, Guvernul Statelor Unite, prin intermediul USAID, sprijina programul RITI/Access, implementat de Academia pentru Dezvoltare Educationala. Acest program RITI contribuie la dezvoltarea accesului si utilizarii tehnologiei informatiei si comunicatiilor de catre organizatiile publice si private din Romania. De asemenea, la conferinta au participat si reprezentanti ai RITI/Access.

Persoana de contact : Letitia Dumitru, USAID – tel : 021 316 1222

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