Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 23 | Page 12

NEWS OMAN ITA develops eServices in Oman through IT infrastructure An ePayment Gateway is thriving in Oman thanks to a robust IT infrastructure. non-profit organisations have been added as beneficiaries. ITA has completed most of the infrastructure projects that facilitate the development and delivery of electronic services by Government entities. The Information Technology Authority (ITA), which is responsible for the development and implementation of the IT infrastructure in Oman, previously launched an ePayment Gateway. This enables Government, the private sector and citizens to make secure electronic transactions and simplify payment procedures. Since its launch 41 Government entities and 36 private entities have utilised the services of the ePayment Gateway. By the end of last year, the number of transactions carried out through the ePayment gateway was 1,098,935 and their value reached 207,286,634 OMR. To enhance the gateway scheme This has occurred following the declaration by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said that Government eTransformation is a necessity in the modern age. His Majesty said eServices are the most direct and fastest way of communication between the Government and citizens. Young make the most of Government eServices Young people are the most likely to use the electronic services available in Oman according to a survey done by the Information Technology Authority (ITA). The survey was done earlier this year to assess awareness and usage of government electronic services and 80% of the survey respondents were aged from 18 to 40 years. The survey was targeted to Omani citizens and residents in Muscat. The data was gathered from 1779 respondents through field data collection 12 INTELLIGENTCIO (67%) and an online link shared via ITA social media channels (33%). When asked about the reasons for not using the government eServices, the highest response went to low network speed (34%) while 9% cited a lack of experience in using the technology. According to the survey results, 95% of people were aware of at least one government electronic service, which indicates that awareness exists but there is a need to target specific sectors of society in promotional and marketing campaigns. The electronic services of five government entities were addressed in the survey. These were ROP, Ministry of Health, Muscat Municipality, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. www.intelligentcio.com