SPEECH BY THE HON EDWARD FENECH ADAMI, PRIME MINISTER, AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE MITTS CONFERENCE "ATTAINING eMALTA - PUSHING BACK THE FRONTIERS" AT THE NEW DOLMEN HOTEL

Over the last ten to twelve years, we have witnessed unprecedented efforts to bring our Public Service into the twenty-first century. No doubt, long into the future, historians, academics, political scientists and others will debate how successful we have been in this task.

Our progress has indeed been remarkable, though, undoubtedly, we must continuously strive to improve the quality of life and economic well being in Malta. One sphere of activity about which there can be no dispute regarding progress achieved is that of the implementation of Information Technology in government, and consequently the impact this has had on the nation as a whole.

In the ten years leading to the anniversary of MITTS, an event we are celebrating to-day, we have experienced a revolution in the way in which Malta works through the application of Information Technology and Telecommunications. The evolution of Malta into a technology literate nation is an achievement my Government takes enormous pride in, when viewed in the context of the technophobic policies which prevailed in this country until the very last decade of the century just past.

At the start of the nineties, the Maltese landscape was for the most part virginal territory in matters relating to computing. I mention this not so much to denigrate initiatives of previous administrations, as to remind you how far we?ve come in a remarkably short space of time. The journey is even more remarkable given how little we were equipped then by way of skills and know-how. Three generations of technology had indeed passed us by. Can we now imagine a work environment, and very rapidly a home one for that matter, without a computer, without networks, without e-mail, without faxes and without a telephone on every desk, in every home and in many pockets?

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how far we?ve travelled. We have traversed from a wilderness to the makings of an Information Society, leap-frogging technologies, all in the space of ten years, especially the four years between 1992 and 1996. It is, I believe, important for me to underline the catalysing impact that the Management Systems Unit, now MITTS Ltd, had in establishing the technical foundation for our Information Society. This achievement is far more remarkable when one remembers that MSU Ltd was only a concept in 1992, and the techno environment we live and breathe to-day, was merely a blue print then.

There is not one public or private organisation which has not been touched by information technology today. Computers and telecommunications are all pervasive. However, before we get too complacent about our achievements, we are still far from utilising the full capacity of our investment. In terms of the Public Service, we have shown foresight in building a technology infrastructure which is integrated and coherent, enabling access to functionalities and applications which are the envy of other organisations.

Through this foresight and planning, we are on the brink of realising eGovernment. This is the next leg of our journey with the Public Service at the helm, and MITTS manning the oars. This is our vision for to-morrow and implies a continuing transformation in the way in which we operate, and by which we bring ourselves closer to the people we serve.

With the increasing advances in technology, a holistic approach to managing information has become both feasible and necessary to Government. This presents us with an opportunity to establish and maintain a better relationship, between Government, our clients and our strategic partners. Through our investment in the infrastructure, we can begin to work as a single organisation to provide quicker and better administration and delivery of services. Changes in the way in which public sector agencies operate can lead to information being shared as easily across government, and beyond, as within a single agency. Within the legislative framework currently being piloted by my Government that ensures that issues of privacy, confidentiality, national security and national interest are satisfactorily addressed, information management reform can lead to quality information collection, creation and feedback - essential elements of quality government.

Greater availability of information allows citizens to become more active participants in government - better informed and better equipped to demand higher standards of service. They will no longer be forced to deal passively with bureaucratic systems and processes that often appear designed to frustrate and delay, rather than to help. The gap between users of public services and the delivery agencies can be narrowed. Improved collaboration in information management across all layers of government can provide universal, cheaper and easier access for citizens to government.

Government will be able to contribute more to the commercial sector - both in providing easier and more timely access to valuable information, collected at taxpayer?s expense, and in reducing the frustrations for businesses in dealing with regulations and policies fragmented across the current structures of government. Effective cross-agency information management also can mean more efficient business, and facilitate beneficial public-private sector partnerships.

To unlock this potential, Government needs to become smarter in its approach to information management. Unnecessary duplication can be avoided and the common standards we have adopted can reduce transaction costs and difficulties. But this requires not just the technology and a framework for information management, but also commitment by managers and staff across the Public Service to make the necessary structural changes, both within and across agency boundaries. The benefits of information technology will not come about automatically. They require creativity and flexibility, a willingness to embrace change and new ways of working.

Our infrastructure is currently under-utilised in the Public Sector. I am aware that, should the capacity of our infrastructure be suitably utilised, it could have a far-reaching impact on the quality, cost and turn-around of service delivery. The Public Service now needs to turn its attention to tapping this potential, placing more effort in implementation, change management and the sustainability of re-engineered methods and processes.

It is, I believe, important for me to underline that the striving for attainment of eGovernment, must not and cannot be perceived in a vacuum. There cannot be eGovernment unless we establish Malta as a true Information Society geared to the new Information Economy.

This Conference, therefore, constitutes a critical milestone. For the first time, you, the major polity players ? the telecommunications providers, the educational institutions, the private sector, the National Commission for Persons with a Disability, and Government ? have come together to discuss the related factors and issues. We must substantively address these, if Malta is to successfully make the transition from a technology literate society to a true Information Society and attendant Information Economy, tapping the benefits of these accordingly.

This is a challenge involving many players working together, and certainly including the Public Sector, MITTS and our burgeoning IT and Telecommunications industry. Indeed I see the public/private sector partnership as critical to the success of this vision.

I firmly believe, that to succeed in this transition, my Government?s primary role should be directed towards bringing about the appropriate changes to our regulatory framework. In addition we must institute policies which give incentive and impetus to the realisation of this Information eEconomy. Implicit in this will be concomitant initiatives to help mould the Information Society.

MITTS has shown itself to be in the vanguard of technology developments, and in this regard has pioneered specialised technical training and experiential learning. This has entailed national human capital development, which has contributed directly and indirectly to Malta?s growing knowledge-based economy. Current estimates are that there are approximately 2500 IT jobs, and a cumulative investment well in excess of Lm200 million in technology and telecommunications during the past ten years. Knowledge-based occupations now account for a significant percentage of our workforce and this proportion is steadily growing.

Indeed, the dearth of IT skills is one of the major constraints to the pace of our economic development, although this is not a phenomenon that is unique to our country. While our institutions of learning have done much in recent years to prepare young people for these new requirements, demand still far outpaces the capacity of these institutions to crank up an ever-continuing supply of graduates with the requisite skills.

Thus, whilst organisations such as MITTS have a social obligation to continue to invest in training and development, my Government recognises that IT education and life long learning need to assume a strategic focus given the increasing dependence of our economy on its technology underpinnings. In some respects, the challenge for MITTS and the IT industry remains as daunting to-day as it was at the inception of this development 10 years ago when, there was little by way of indigenous skills, and even less practical experience. The myriad opportunities for IT professionals arising from the fact that IT has today become grafted to our institutional fabric, places a burden on any organisation to maintain an environment which is conducive to work, where people are able to grow and be fulfilled.

Our quest for closer integration with Europe has helped us focus on defining and quantifying our institutional capacity requirements. Invariably however, we discover that our planned accession to the European Union has very little to do with most of these capacity requirements, but more to do with the citizen?s expectations of good governance as well as a rapidly changing operational context from the local to the global. They have more to do with a shift in philosophy from process to outcomes. They have to do with a changing occupational mix in our institutions, from unskilled to knowledge based. This translates into an overwhelming need to beef up the performance of all of our institutions, not because we?re moving to Europe, but because we have to if we?re not to be left lagging behind in terms of economic development and quality of life.

My Government will assume a leading role in ensuring that Malta continues in its transformation to an Information Society and an Information Economy. We are aware of the myriad activities which this will entail and require diligent orchestration to ensure congruence and coherence. My Government is presently actively considering several options to bring this about. One of these is to set up a national commission that will bring together the key players with the responsibility to provide the leadership, co-ordination and maintain the pace this will undoubtedly bring about.

While we now have much of the technology to make the leap, we must match this with human endeavour if we are to succeed in this next leg of our journey. We have conquered the technology. The efforts of all stakeholders involved in shaping Malta as an information society and an information economy now need to centre more on shaping human behaviour.

As human beings, we not only have an opportunity, but a responsibility, to shape our own destiny - to create a productive, fulfilling life. As we continue to make our progress through this exciting era of the information age, the future won?t just happen on its own. It will be created by people with values, aspirations and growing expectations. It will be created by those who demand that the smaller, more open world we are living in must be a better one.

These are the challenges I would like to leave you with.

I wish to thank you for inviting me to this Conference and augur you success in your deliberations and the subsequent outcomes of your activities.