SPEECH BY THE HON EDWARD FENECH ADAMI, PRIME MINISTER, AT THE INAUGURATION OF EXHIBITION CELEBRATING 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF MITTS LTD.

I am very pleased to be here today to officially launch this programme of celebration on the 10^thAnniversary of MITTS Ltd.

Since my Government formally constituted the Management Systems Unit Ltd ten years ago, it has been one of the agents of change which catalysed the transformation of the Public Service ? both in terms of the institutional framework as well as the introduction of Information Technology as an instrument of change.

Ten years ago the Public Service had no capacity or expertise in organisational development and design. The IT revolution that was sweeping the world, was sweeping right past the Public Service and indeed the country. Faced with this situation, my Government had to build an organisation from scratch - both in terms of organisational capacity, as well as the strategic articulation of a programme of works to initiate a change process which has brought us to where we are today.

And where are we today? The Public Service today is not the Public Service my Government inherited in 1987. Over the past three terms of administration, my Government invested heavily in sectors such as water production, energy generation, education and healthcare. Our policies of liberalisation have resulted in the re-generation of our economy and we today can boast of a state of the art telecommunications sector.

Further to this, the past decade has seen the investment of over Lm50 million in a seamless, consistent and coherent IT infrastructure and skills base in the Public Service. The last ten years have seen an infusion of over 4,500 PCs across the Public Service and a further 4,500 in state schools. All of the major back room processes of Government are today totally driven and facilitated by IT, including police, health, taxation, accounting, customs, courts administration and local government administration.

In a few short years, my Government has successfully managed to transform our Nation from an inward looking isolationalist state, into a modern and outward-looking country with a robust infrastructural base which allows us to face up to the challenges of globalisation.

Information technology and communication have been the primary driving forces for attaining this institutional and social transformation. MSU, and more recently MITTS, have played a significant and instrumental role in catalysing, and at times effecting, such changes.

It is significant to underline that, prior to the implementation of information technology in the Public Service, Malta was, in essence, an information technology illiterate nation. Only eight years ago the resourcing of MSU was not possible as an IT skills base was not available locally. The courageous, yet often misunderstood, decision to import external skills to transfer IT knowledge spurred a gradual, and at times painful, development of this important national skills capacity.

Today, we enjoy the benefits of that policy decision. MITTS Ltd has created a highly professional IT skills base in the local workforce ? the quality of which has attracted, and continues to attract, foreign investment to Malta. MITTS Ltd, itself, is today a highly professional Company employing 300 local employees.

To embrace change with open arms is a brave move, and most often a painful process. In truth, a silent revolution was embarked upon 10 years ago and a successful outcome, which we today take for granted, has been attained. The efforts of the past decade, in which MITTS Ltd has been one of major players, have provided us with a solid and robust institutional and economic infrastructure that allows us to look to the future with a high sense of optimism.

Today we face a brave new world. Whilst our achievements should not be minimised, it is imperative to recognise that much more needs to be done to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of our Nation.

We are swiftly shifting from a predominantly advanced industrial society to a knowledge-based society. In essence, a New Economy has emerged ? dependent on the fast proliferation of the Internet and Internet based technologies, transcending national borders and conventional understandings of fiscal and administrative regulation.

In this it is imperative that we strive to optimise our IT and Communications infrastructure to catalyse Malta as an Information Society and an Information Economy.

In this regard it is important to underline developments in this sector. A draft Electronic Commerce Bill and Data Protection Bill have been submitted to Parliament for a Second Reading. Similarly, amendments to the Criminal Code to account for computer misuse have been submitted to Parliament for consideration.

This morning, the Ministry for Justice and Local Government launched a White Paper titled "A Vision and Strategy for the Attainment of eGovernment". My Government?s vision for the Public Service is that its services should be delivered at the convenience of the citizen ? if possible anywhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Information Technology and communications have advanced to such a degree that this vision is realistically achievable. Yet, for us to achieve this, Malta needs to truly become an Information Society and an Information Economy.

Just as over the past decade MITTS has been instrumental in the technology revolution, I am confident that, yet again, this agent of change will assume and play a leading role in the attainment of eGovernment.

In conclusion, I wish to thank the Chairman, the management and the staff ? past as well as present ? for the role they have played in establishing an organisation which has been so intrumental in the development of our country, our economy and our society.