We all need government to be efficient and responsive to the needs of people who access government services and this can certainly be achieved through effective utilisation of information communication technologies. The benefits of E-government are that it is quicker and to a greater degree is reliable. The big step was when the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs introduced the E-Passport. Although the passport is yet to be rolled out to members of the public, it is a big step that the passport security features have been improved. We have heard in the past how the Botswana passport easily landed into the wrong hands, but we hope with the new passport, such things will be a thing of the past.
The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs has indeed turned over a new leaf! Last week it launched the Immigration and Citizenship system as part of a computerisation wide project known as Immigration and Citizenship System (ICS). The aim, according to the ministry, is to implement an integrated approach and it will address various needs such as visas, residence permits, permanent residence, citizenship, investigation and repatriation. This has been a sore area with applicants waiting, in some cases, for as long as three years to be assisted.
