Seychelles plans new e-Services.

Plans to offer various government services online are underway according to the department of Information Technology and Communication (DITC).

When finally in place, the Seychellois public will be able to apply for and use various services or enroll on different programmes from remote locations without having to go physically to different offices.

According to the minister reponsible for ITC, Joseph Belmont, the government’s decision to offer e-Services is because “IT is playing an increasingly important role in the conduct of different businesses and operations.”

He said his department is at the moment working with other government’s departments, assisting them with their computerisation process.

e-Services is a term usually referring to the provision of services via the Internet. It include e-Commerce although they may also include non-commercial services, such as e-Government services.

“A person should eventually be able, for example, to file his Pension Fund returns online from his own premises without having to get a form, fill it up then deliver or post it,” explains the principal secretary for ITC Benjamin Choppy.

It is to be noted that many private companies, the likes of Cable & Wireless Hunt Deltel and Coco D’or Hotel are already offering various online services, such as e-billing, cargo tracking and online reservation.

However, critics say consumers will accepted the e-services less readily than the government is expecting. Several reasons might account for the slow uptake, including:

· Concerns about security. Many people will refrain
from giving personal details, e.g. national identity number
over the Internet due to concerns about theft and fraud.
· Lack of instant gratification with most transactions.
Much of a consumer's reward of doing a transaction lies
in the instant gratification of getting a result. This
reward does not exist when a reply does not arrive
instantly.
· The problem of access to the Internet. Low
penetration rates of Internet access in some sectors greatly
reduces the potential for e-services, particularly for poor
households.
· The social aspect of services. Some people enjoy
meeting and talking to other people: this social reward side
does not exist to the same extent in online service.

Despite such initial reactions, critics say this direct access will simplify the process taxpayers engage in to obtain government services. e-Services will help create experiences with government agencies that are more personal. These interactions are an opportunity to provide more than just static information delivery. They will lead to a more responsive organization and favorable perception of the agency and service provided.