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Government services at your finger tip

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday announced the post e-Government era with the launch of the Mobile Government (m-Government) initiative, marking a significant breakthrough in the delivery of government services to the public through their mobile phones, anywhere and round-the-clock.

Emphasising the need to focus on measures to further enhance government services, Shaikh Mohammed called for creative efforts to provide services on par with global standards, adding that an innovative government thinks ahead and breaks the routine to become No 1.

“We are embracing the most modern concept in innovative government by moving towards the delivery of government services through mobile phones. We have one of the best communication infrastructures in the world today, with mobile phone subscribers in the UAE reaching 14 million, which represents an average of two mobile phones per individual,” said Shaikh Mohammed.

Shaikh Mohammed at the launch of the Mobile Government initiative in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photo by Shihab

“The objective now is to relocate customer service centres into every customer device, enabling them to obtain their desired service through their mobile phones anywhere and at any time. A successful government reaches out to the citizens rather than wait for them to come to it,” he added.

Shaikh Mohammed emphasised that the new initiative aimed to consolidate the UAE’s position in electronic services delivery to be on par with international best practices.

“In 2000, we became the pioneers in the region and the seventh in the world to launch the e-Government project. Now we have taken a more significant step by launching the m-Government,” Shaikh Mohammed said.

“Our role as a government is to make the life of our citizens easier and ensure they are happy and satisfied. We need to reach all the community segments and provide them with the best possible service,” he added.

Shaikh Mohammed directed all federal and local government entities to provide innovative services in easy-to-use format through mobile phones within 24 months, reiterating that the government has the resources to accomplish this mission effectively and efficiently.

The new initiative aims to encourage government entities in the UAE to offer innovative services through mobile phones, portable devices and text message applications to ensure access to government services 24/7.

Services under the initiative will be delivered in a highly efficient and transparent manner to meet the needs and expectations of customers, enabling them to benefit from communicating with government entities from anywhere. This is in line with the directives of the government to develop services and achieve a high quality of life for UAE nationals and residents according to the Vision 2021.

The Mobile Government initiative was launched at a forum organised by the UAE Government with the participation of more than 1,000 government officials. This followed the directives of Shaikh Mohammed, during the Government Summit held recently in Dubai, to develop government services to make them more convenient for the public.

The Mobile Government Forum looks forward to raising awareness among government entities to take advantage of mobile phone services by adopting innovation and the best technologies in the field to offer the highest level of services comparable to the private sector by sharing experiences with other outstanding entities in the world.

In a quick response to the initiative, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Fund, an initiative of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, announced an allocation of Dh200 million in support of the mobile phone applications. The ICT will offer technical assistance and advice.