Work permit applications to be monitored on-line in Italy With the aim to manage the influx of non-EU workers in Italy in a better way; the Ministry for Internal Affairs in Italy has setup an on-line service which will electronically check the status of an application to hire extra-Community workers. This service was recently launched and a link from the website of the Ministry enables the prospective employers to check the current status of their applications from outside the European Union, within the remit of the 2007 Decree on immigration flows. According to this decree only 170 000 non-EU citizens can take up work legally in Italy in 2008 and within this overall figure, specific allocations are set for the countries which have signed the co-operation agreements with Italy. So far nearly 700 000 applications had already been received online through this system. Source: http://www.igovernment.in/site/italy-takes-e-route-to-manage-non-eu-workers/
Anti-corruption portal for citizens launched in Bulgaria The government of Bulgaria recently established an 'anti-corruption portal' that aims at providing citizens a convenient and anonymous channel to report incidences of corruption. Ever since its launch, the portal www.anticorruption.bg has already received more than 90 corruption reports. The complainants are given the option to decide whether they wish to identify themselves or not and the government also guarantees anonymity to them. Maximum number of complaints so far has been received to date are against medical professionals, policemen and customs officers. The web portal has implemented measures to ensure that each case is properly followed up. Once submitted, a corruption report cannot be erased from the system. The site offers a track-and-trace functionality enabling complainants to see what happens next. The submitted reports are later forwarded to the internal compliance units of the institutions concerned (known as inspectorates) for detailed investigations. A statutory period of two months is then given within which the inspectorates provide feedback, however this period can be extended for cases of greater complexity. After the case is verified and confirmed, the wrongdoer is penalised and depending on the gravity of the case, sanctions vary from administrative measures to imprisonment. Source: http://www.anticorruption.bg/index_eng.php
Improving life expectancy through the Web: United Kingdom The Minister of State for Public Health Dawn Primarolo, UK has implemented a Health Inequalities Intervention Tool – an interactive website to help local health services and councils in order to improve life expectancy in areas with the worst health and deprivation. The main aim of this tool is to tackle health inequalities in England and targets have been formulated to be achieved by 2010, including a 10% reduction in the difference in life expectancy. The tool is designed to help Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), Practice-Based Commissioners and local authorities in Spearhead areas to understand the impact of simple, effective, evidence-based measures can have on the life expectancy gap of their local populations. This task is being supported by National Health Service (NHS), local authority service planners and commissioners This ICT initiative will be an important tool in realising the issues that result in declining of life expectancy and these are giving up smoking, reducing infant deaths, preventative treatment for people at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease etc. Life expectancy as a whole is improving across the UK. However, the gap between the most deprived areas and the entire country continues to widen. The average life expectancy in England is 76.9 years for men and 81.1 years for women (2003-2005 data). Source: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/13909
Information and Advice to Austrian Expatriates Online Austrian Foreign Ministry has established a portal which is divided into 30 themes with relevance to Austrians working in the various corners of the world. The portal aims at delivering information on various aspects such as passport, ID and driving license, issues related to elections, citizenship, pensions and other social entitlements, as well as recommended lawyers and doctors, and tax matters.
The portal also covers issues related to education and military service in Austria, travel news and emergencies, information on moving house to and from Austria, networks and media for Austrians abroad, the rules governing the transport of pets, and even tips on receiving the Austrian national broadcaster in other countries.
This is an innovative ICT innovative project to make sure that all the citizens worldwide can keep in touch with Austria more easily. This initiave also permits the Austrian expats the right of postal voting, for which they had long campaigned. Source: http://www.epractice.eu/document/3758
e-Customs control in Hungary The Customs and Excise Department of Hungarian has set up a pilot project on eCustoms project, designed to accelerate the movement of goods and increase the international standing and competitiveness of Hungarian enterprises. Under this project an eData of the goods will be available at all stages of the processing procedure, and clients may request print-outs to present to other authorities. There will, therefore, be less paperwork and declarations will be available to fill in on-line. All the forms once completed will be monitored at the same time.
This ICT initiative is currently in its experimental phase and aims at making customs controls smoother, quicker and more effective in the same time. It will be also a perfect tool to combat counterfeit and terrorism. Source: http://www.unpan.org/directory/worldNews/guest/displayIssueDetail.asp?issueID=27#542
Compiled by: Sonal Kalra, Editor-Informatics