MUSCAT: The Ministry of Transport, Communication, and Information Technology has outlined an ambitious agenda for advancing digital transformation in 2024 in its recently released annual report.
The Ministry's strategic targets include a series of critical initiatives aimed at enhancing government digital services and infrastructure. Key among the Ministry's goals is the completion of the first phase of the Government Electronic Integration Acceleration Project. This initiative, which will be executed according to a detailed plan, aims to streamline digital processes across targeted government institutions.
Additionally, the Ministry plans to introduce the Readiness and Digital Services Maturity Measurement System, designed to assess and enhance the digital capabilities of government entities. The launch of the National Open Data Platform, which will enter its first phase, is another significant milestone, aimed at increasing transparency and accessibility of data.
The report also highlights the issuance of several guidelines, including the Digital Participation Guideline and the Digital User Experience Design Guideline, which will provide a framework for improving digital engagement and user experience across government services.
Further, the Ministry will host the second edition of the Oman Digital Transformation Forum, continuing its efforts to foster dialogue and collaboration on digital innovation. The Digital Empowerment Program for National Talents will also see its first phase awarded and implemented, focusing on empowering local talent within the government sector.
In terms of procedural improvements, the Ministry will complete the third and fourth phases of Manjam Labs, an initiative aimed at simplifying government procedures. The launch of the National Unified Portal for Electronic Services and the National Data Governance Framework are also on the agenda, aimed at creating a cohesive and efficient digital service environment.
As highlighted recently in the Observer, electronic certification systems processed 903,897 transactions utilizing electronic signatures in the second half of 2023 alone. This represents a 12 per cent increase compared to the 806,500 transactions recorded in the second half of 2022. Additionally, the adoption of digital IDs has gained momentum, with 12,924,684 digital transactions completed using digital identification methods during the same period, marking a 25 per cent rise from the 10,331,000 transactions in the latter half of 2022.
These strategic initiatives reflect the Ministry’s commitment to driving significant advancements in the digital landscape, positioning the government to better serve its citizens and embrace the future of digital innovation.
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