Germany has the highest number of Internet users in the EU, with an estimated 30 million individuals accessing information. While the number of users has been growing exponentially, the real cost of connection/usage has been falling by around 25% per annum. According to Andreas Reisen, just appointed as Head of the Project Group, Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Bund Online 2005, the administration has identified 75% of its possible online services are of the information type, accordingly, 5 competence centres are being built, staffed with specialist teams, in the areas of Process/Organisation, Processing, Data Security, Content Management Systems and ePayment. There is to be a Central Co-ordination Group, which will orchestrate the entire implementation process for Bund Online 2005.

Mr Reisen, speaking at the Government Computing conference held in Brussels on the 30-31st of October, revealed that the total fund required by Bund Online 2005, is €1.65billion between 2002 and 2005, and the federal administration estimates that from 2006 onwards, online government services have the potential to make savings of €400 million per annum.

Breaking down the areas where budgetary savings are expected, Mr Reisen listed:
Information Services - 20% saving
Consulting - 35%
Preparation of political decisions - 2%
Procurement Services - 140%
Subsidies - 55%
Applications - 140%
Surveillance services - 8%

As to the actual number of German government e-services brought online year by year, the current estimates are:
2001: 21
2002: 119
2003: 108
2004: 119
2005: 9

Further information:
Andreas.Reisen@bmi.bund.de

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