2275 Visits
Last updated: October 2009
The Government of Malta's portal is at the same time an institutional site and the official gateway to electronic public services. It provides access to information, as well as to a number of interactive and transactional services. Over 60 public eServices can be accessed through the portal.
The eGovernment services online are divided into fifteen different clusters. The underlying idea of service clusters is a technique used to bundle government services according to the needs of specific citizen groups. Within these links, citizens will find government services structured around their needs, regardless of the Government Department they are located within.
‘mygov.mt’ was unveiled by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications in September 2007. It is a web portal where citizens and businesses are able to access all of the Government's services available on the Internet in a secure and integrated way.
The portal is a central interface for all eGovernment services and uses a process that allows citizens to log in only once, through a single-sign on facility, in order to access all these services. The e-ID offers a simple method of identification and authentication to access the ‘mygov.mt’ services via a computer, from one’s home, office or Local Council. It is to be noted that the e-ID is free of charge and available to all ID Card holders, and that it does not expire.
‘mygov.mt’ is intended to be placed at the core of a leap towards eGovernment 2.0. It is planned to become a platform that sets out a radically new way of public service delivery with self-services for citizens combining online simplicity, sophistication, privacy and security.
Through this website, citizens can submit questions, suggestions and complaints to public entities regarding the services they offer. Public entities include all Government Departments, Local Councils, as well as Authorities and Public Corporations (e.g. Planning Authority, EneMalta Corporation, Water Services Corporation). An electronic system that links all these entities was created, so that every case to be processed and investigated in the most efficient way.
Network
MAGNET was implemented in 1995 as the Maltese Government Network connecting all Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as Local Councils, Schools, Police Stations, Libraries, Hospitals, Health Centres, Social Services offices and Embassies.
This network has enabled the Government to proliferate IT and Information Society applications such as email, the Internet, and corporate applications like the Common Database (CdB) and the Departmental Accounting System (DAS), to help facilitate and improve the efficiency of the Public Service. The availability of this network also enabled the Government to launch its eGovernment services.
A new network, MAGNET II, was launched in July 2005 and partly replaced MAGNET. This new state-of-the-art network presents a number of benefits for users compared with its predecessor.
In particular, MAGNET II provides enhanced bandwidth per site, offers better reliability through strict service level agreements (SLAs), guarantees 99.8 % minimum site availability, and is fully secure through extensive encryption.
Another major benefit of MAGNET II is the network’s ability to transport Voice over IP (VoIP) calls efficiently and effectively between all connected organisations.
A Government-wide intranet is available to all entities connected to the network. Named ‘Malta Public Service Intranet’, it allows document exchange and sharing across Ministries and Departments.
eIdentification/eAuthentication
ID Card number
The ID Card number is a unique reference for each individual permanently residing in Malta. This unique reference has been extensively used in all Government business processes and even in the private sector.
In March 2004, the Maltese Government launched its ‘Electronic Identity’, a secure key network that enables citizens to access a number of interactive and transactional eServices requiring strong identification such as VAT, tax and company-related services, as well as social services, online passport requests or online ePayment Gateway. The Electronic Identity is based on the internationally recognised four-tier security model.
As of March 2007, the e-ID had already been implemented and launched up to the second level. The third level which consists of a soft PKI digital certificate, has been implemented as well.
Citizens can apply for an Electronic Identity by presenting themselves at an e-ID Registration Office of Valletta or Rabat (for Gozo) with a copy of their paper ID card and a valid email address. After corroborating his/her identity, the Registration Authority will send the applicant a username, password, and a secure PIN activation code that are unique for the user. The applicant will receive his/her e-ID number and password at the email address provided to the Registration Officer. The PIN number will be sent to the address that shows on the user’s ID Card.
The e-ID offers a simple method of identification and authentication to access the eGovernment services provided on the ‘mygov.mt’ portal. The e-ID number and password are used to log in, whereas the PIN activation code is used to sign for the first time into ‘mygov.mt’, to activate one’s e-ID account.
The PIN number will be again needed when applying for a digital certificate to be able to access the highly sensitive eGovernment services (e.g. submission of VAT or income tax return). Downloading such digital certificate is optional and depends upon whether the user intends to make use of the sensitive services in question.
It is to be noted that the e-ID is free of charge available to all ID Card holders and it does not expire.
The e-ID Card or Smart ID Card will mark the fourth level of the e-ID and thus provide each person in Malta with a very secure way of conducting eGovernment, of signing electronic documents and of authenticating oneself in the digital world. In parallel, a national electronic register of persons will be developed based on the registration process for the e-ID Card.
It is foreseen that in future, the electronic components of the e-ID Card may seriously absorb the function of most of the identity documents issued. These include but are not limited to the student card, the Kartanzjan (the elderly person’s card), the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and the public transport card.
National Identity Management System (NIDMS)
The existing National Identity Management System aims to support the core identity management processes including the issuance of electronic identity cards (e-ID Card), ePassports and biometric visas.
ePassports
Since October 2008, the Maltese Passports Office has started issuing biometric passports. On the occasion of their launch, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, Austin Gatt, explained that the new passports contain the same information as the old ones, but the information is held in a more secure manner, in a chip embedded in the document. In the future, the chip is also planned to carry an image of the holder's fingerprint.
eProcurement
Department of Contracts Portal
This portal is aimed at reducing the effort and time involved in the procurement process of tenders issued by the Department of Contracts. It is aimed at providing a user-friendly, efficient and effective platform for bidders by using the capabilities of the Internet to provide interactive information with document downloading capabilities, payment on line, search functions, as well as an email and SMS alert service for bidders.
Numerous functionalities are available for bidders. The most important ones allow bidders to:
Maltese individuals and organisations have to register at the portal through the national e-ID framework. Foreign bidders need to register themselves and their respective organisations directly from the portal.
eProcurement Portal for IT Desktop Equipment
This portal was launched in April 2004. It enables public entities to acquire IT desktop equipment (hardware and software) below a threshold of €5823. This eProcurement system was planned to be enhanced to include other functionalities including a payment gateway.
Knowledge Management
First Initiative - The Malta Public Service Intranet
Launched in April 2003, the 'Malta Public Service Intranet' allows document exchange and sharing across Ministries and Departments. Since September 2004, it entered a second development phase, which includes the creation of secure, reserved areas allowing user groups to share restricted documents such as presentations, minutes and news items. These communities of practice in certain cases span horizontally across the Government. The Intranet is currently in the process of being redeveloped using an open source content management system.
Further Steps for Creating a Government-wide Knowledge Management Framework
The Malta Information Technology Agency's Strategic Plan for the period 2009-2012 envisages the establishment of a knowledge-management function for IT- and IS-related matters in government, encouraging the sharing of information, best practices, research and related materials to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of decision-makers on he respective subjects. A Government-wide knowledge management framework is planned to have been deployed by the end of 2010.
Other Infrastructure
ePayment Infrastructure
The eGovernment electronic payment gateway is part of the horizontal infrastructure supporting the Maltese eGovernment. It complements the e-ID framework in providing a layer for the development of eServices to both Citizens and Businesses. When the first payment gateway was launched in 2003, the number of transactions reached approximately 7 600 during the course of the year.
In 2007, this amount had already reached about a quarter of a million and the system was completely redeveloped with the new Government Payment Gateway going live in October 2008. The setup, being PCI compliant, offers added reliability, stability and security. Its contracted availability is 99.9 % per month and the average processing time for a transaction is calculated to be 2.5 seconds. As of May 2009 merchants are being offered complete reporting and the Malta Information Technology Agency plans to deploy functionality which will allow real-time reporting to also be fully integrated with the merchants' back-end systems. The Government Payment Gateway is expected to handle 300 000 transactions by the end of 2009.
In Malta, eGovernment services are available through multiple service delivery channels including the Internet, call centres, interactive digital TV, wireless networks and mobile telephony.
The mGovernment initiative brings together both mobile telecom providers in Malta, as well as the telecoms regulator and Government Agencies responsible for IT developments.
As a result of this initiative, mobile phone users are now able to access a number of government services via their phone.
Through the mGovernment website users can register for SMS notifications in relation to eGovernment services. The services that are currently being developed are, as follows:
When a person registers for SMS notifications, he/she needs to give his/her personal details, i.e. name, surname, mobile phone number and ID card number. One also needs to specify the eGovernment service that he/she is applying for.
