“government”Search All-EnPress Publisher LLC.

Sept 3, 2024

Smart development in the making: Links between commuting, digital technologies and the demand for e-government applications in Hungary

Although various actors have examined the user acceptance of e-government developments, less attention has so far devoted to the relationship between attitudes of certain commuter groups against digital technologies and their intention to engage in productive time-use by mobile devices. This paper aims to fill this gap by establishing an overall framework which focuses on Hungarian commuters’ attitudes toward e-government applications as well as their possible demands of developing them. Relying on a representative questionnaire survey conducted in Hungary in March and April 2020, the data were examined by a machine learning and correlations to identify the factors, attitudes and demands that influence the use of mobile devices during frequent commuting. The paper argues that the regularity of commuting in rural areas, as well as the higher levels of qualification and employment status in cities show a more positive, technophile attitude to new ICT and mobile technologies that strengthen the demands for digital development, with special regard to optimising e-government applications for certain types of commuting groups. One of the main limitations of this study is that results suggest a picture of the commuters in a narrow timeframe. The findings suggest that developing e-government applications is necessary and desirable from both of the supply and demand sides. Based on prior scholarly knowledge, no research has ever analysed these correlations in Hungary where commuters are among the European citizens who spend extensive time with commuting.

Abstract

Download PDF(485.98KB)

XML

0

9

Sept 2, 2024

Evaluating how and why the Government of Rwanda failed to achieve middle-income status (MICS) in 2020: Lessons for other African countries

In the 1960s, many East Asian Tiger countries, such as Taiwan, Malaysia, China, etc., faced unfavourable socio-economic conditions like those facing many African countries such as Rwanda. For example, in the 1960s, Singapore was classified as an undeveloped country, with its GDP per capita standing at less than $320. However, all these countries managed to reach a development level like that of Western and North American countries (such as the U.S. and Canada), within a space of less than 15 years. Today, Singapore’s GDP per capita has risen to an incredible $84,501, making it the sixth highest GDP per capita in the world. With Vision 2020, President Kagame promised that Rwanda, which he referred to as “the African lion”, would cruise faster to the middle-income country status faster than Singapore and other middle income status countries, most of which are in East-Asia in less than 20 years. Thirteen years after the introduction of Rwanda’s Vision 2020, President Kagame dashed off the Wall Street Journal and other western media which often referred to Rwanda’s economic development as “the economic tiger of Africa” in his 2013 famous statement as follows: “There is a view that development is a marathon, not a sprint. We do not agree. Development is a marathon that must be run at a sprint. In our pursuit of progress, we have, of course, looked to East Asia’s so-called “tiger” economies for inspiration. But Africa’s experience is unique, and we must now define our own destiny. So, while being described as an “African tiger” is a welcome recognition of how far Rwanda has come, perhaps it isn’t quite right. After all, our continent has its own big cat. Step forward, the new lions of Africa.”. To achieve this objective between 2000 and 2020, Rwanda’s GDP per capita needed to increase from 254.94 USD (2000) to $1240 (in 2020), and the GDP growth rate was to grow consistently between 7% and 10% for a period of 20 years (2000–2020). The objective of this article is to critically analyse how the Government of Rwanda failed to achieve its promise of achieving a middle-income status (MICS) between 2000 and 2020. In 2000 the Rwandan president Paul Kagame launched Rwanda’s Vision 2020. This was a long-term framework for Rwanda’s development in 20 (i.e., 2000–2020). The idea behind Rwanda’s leadership was to imitate whatever Singapore did to become a developed country in just 15 years after its independence in 1965. Blatantly stated, President Paul Kagame wanted to turn his country into the Singapore of Africa. The IMF states that “Vision 2020 was the longer-term socio-economic development framework that sought to transform Rwanda into a middle-income country by 2020”. There is no doubt that Rwanda has made some developmental strides through the implementation of Vision 2020 as an instrument for operationalisation for the Singaporean-modelled developmental state over the past 20 years and has succeeded in some areas. However, the Government of Rwanda has failed in many areas and has failed to achieve the prestigious MICS in 2020. Therefore, among the many gaps in the current literature that this research seeks close is to find out what were some of the accomplishments that Rwanda’s Vision 2020 was unable to achieve? Why did the Government of Rwanda fail to achieve middle-income status within 20 years? What insights can other developing countries gain from Rwanda’s Vision 2020 experience? This study is a significant contribution to the current theoretical knowledge as it sheds light on the reasons behind the Government of Rwanda’s failure to achieve middle-income country status in 2020, a topic that has been largely ignored by the Government’s documents and the media. Despite Rwanda’s Vision 2020, there has been no scientific study to date that has attempted to deal with this topic. Therefore, this study, titled “Why the Government of Rwanda failed to achieve middle-income status (MICS) in 2020” is likely the first of its kind. By addressing

Abstract

Download PDF(495.04KB)

XML

0

8

Sept 2, 2024

Patronage and low competency of members as causes of weak implementation of the functions of the village consultative body in realizing a self-governing community

Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages mandates the Village Consultative Body (BPD) as a partner of the village government in empowering village communities to achieve self-governing communities. Referring to the Village Development Index (IDM) in Malang Regency, even though there are no villages classified as very underdeveloped or underdeveloped, there are still more than 61.6% (233 villages) classified as developing, while there are 33.1% (125 villages) classified as developed, and 5.3% (20 villages) are classified as independent. Departing from this phenomenon, this research aims to describe how the BPD functions are implemented in villages classified as developing in Malang Regency under the mandate of Law No. 6 of 2014. Using a qualitative approach, research data collection was carried out using depth-interview and focus group discussion (FGD) techniques. Data analysis uses the stages proposed by Cresswell. The research results indicate that the implementation of the functions and roles of BPD in the research object villages is less effective. Patronage and the low competence and capacity of the average BPD members, as a result of a less focused election process, minimal education, training, and technical guidance, and a very inadequate development budget, are the causes of the ineffective implementation of the roles and functions of BPD members. The ineffective function of the BPD breaks hopes for increased democratization and participation of village communities in efforts to achieve a self-governing community in Malang Regency.

Abstract

Download PDF(338.18KB)

XML

0

9

Aug 30, 2024

Digital transformation of financial transactions of Mamala Negeri government to support the inclusion of village finance information system

Village Finance System (SISKEUDES) is a village financial reporting application policy. The application of the SISKEUDES is as a form of accountability to be accessible and known by the community. However, communication problems, resources, knowledge and limited internet networks in many regions still cause problems in reporting process. The research used a qualitative descriptive method by conducting in-depth interviews and document analysis of Mamala Negeri SISKEUDES. The policy implementation model according to George Edward III was used as an analysis tool. This research was designed to be carried out for 5 (five) months to explore various data from various information regarding this research problem. The research findings are that the provision of facilities and infrastructure for Mamala Negeri supporting human resources is still limited, making it difficult to apply the SISKEUDES 2.0 application. Besides, the village also needs more systematic transaction planning, which allows each transaction to be recorded completely both planning and realization.

Abstract

Download PDF(460.12KB)

XML

0

8

Aug 30, 2024

Effectiveness of communication in local government organizations

This research aims to analyze the effectiveness of organizational communication in aspects of organizational structure, technology, environment, communication patterns and personal characteristics. This research is survey research with a quantitative approach and descriptive statistical methods. The population in this study were all employees of The Maluku Province Communication and Information Service, totaling 78 people, who were also the research sample. The research results show that the effectiveness of administrative communication is in (1) aspects of organizational structure with an average rating of 3.11 (medium category), which shows that the dimensions of centralization, formalization and complexity have been implemented; (2) technological aspects with an average rating of 3.04 (medium category) which shows the level of employee readiness in facing increasingly rapid technological developments; (3) environmental aspects with an average rating of 3.33 (high category) which shows that the internal environment and external environment support the effectiveness of organizational communication; (4) aspects of communication patterns with an average rating of 3.24 (high category) which indicates that communication patterns have gone well; (5) aspects of personal characteristics with an average rating of 3.14 (medium category) which shows that speaking, listening and giving input skills are going well.

Abstract

Download PDF(536.79KB)

XML

0

8

Aug 30, 2024

Bridging the digital divide through digital infrastructure

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive view of the E-Government Development Index analysis in Southeast Asia. Through a review of the results of an annual survey of 192 United Nations (UN) member states, the study identified 11 countries with the E-Government Development Index in Southeast Asia. The findings in this study revealed that the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) in Southeast Asian countries displays different levels of development. Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei are the countries in the region with the highest EGDI scores. Singapore leads the area with a high EGDI score. These countries have effectively implemented advanced e-government services, such as online public services, digital infrastructure, and e-participation, which have greatly improved the quality of life of their citizens and the efficiency of their government function. On the other hand, countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar lag in their e-government development as a result of factors such as limited Internet access, inadequate digital infrastructure, and low levels of digital literacy among the populations of these countries. In addition, some moderate progress has been made in the development of e-government in mid-level countries, such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. These countries continue to improve their digital infrastructure and enhance their e-service offerings to close the digital divide. Overall, EGDI in Southeast Asia reflects different levels of digital transformation in the region, with each country facing its distinct set of difficulties and opportunities when it comes to leveraging technology for better governance and public service delivery.

Abstract

Download PDF(636.04KB)

XML

0

5