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| Title: | Are Mauritians ready for e-government services? |
| Author: | Ramessur-Seenarain, Shalini |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Periodical: | African Administrative Studies (ISSN 0007-9588) |
| Issue: | 72 |
| Pages: | 51-59 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Mauritius |
| Subjects: | public administration e-government |
| Abstract: | Mauritius, a country which represents one of the leading advocates of e-governance in sub-Saharan Africa, has taken much action to improve e-readiness dimensions (fixed telephone lines, mobile cellular phones, computer access, internet access, tariffs, information technology (IT) literacy, computer usage, internet usage, Digital Opportunity Index, Digital Access Index). As such Mauritius ranks high among sub-Saharan African countries in terms of the e-readiness index, based on the United Nations Global E-Government Readiness Index. However, a close look at the usage rate of e-government services, such as online applications, reveals that it is very low, while online transactions are still rhetoric. Using available secondary data sources, this paper assesses whether the high e-readiness index gives a true indication of citizens' e-readiness. It further explores the factors facilitating and inhibiting citizens' e-readiness through the administration of a survey questionnaire. The main findings reveal that the barriers inhibiting citizens' e-readiness are resistance to change, absence of opportunities for e-participation and e-consultation, and lack of awareness. The main facilitators of citizens' e-readiness are awareness campaigns which spell out the advantages of online public services compared to traditional methods of service delivery, the building of trust in government, and managing change. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract] |