STATEMENT BY THE RT HON. PRIME MINISTER
DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI

Read by the Minister for ICT, Hon Dumisani Ndlangamandla

AT THE LAUNCH OF THE REVAMPED GOVERNMENT WEBSITE
AT THE CABINET OFFICES, CAPITAL HILL, MBABANE
THURSDAY 19 JULY 2018

Honourable Ministers
Principal Secretary
Senior ICT Officials
Distinguished Guests
The Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my honour, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government to invite you all to the launch of the revamped Government website. I regret that I am unable to do so in person but the Honourable Minister for Information, Communication and Technology has kindly agreed to read my statement to you.

I have said on a number of occasions, and I am keen to repeat it here today, that one’s access to the internet is the equivalent to having the world’s best reference library in one’s office or living room. The rate at which information-sharing has increased, through the arrival of the internet, can only be described as EXPONENTIAL, and in very large capital letters. In effect, it has transformed the knowledge society beyond anything of which our ancestors could have dreamed.

Such information is invariably held in websites that one can access very quickly, following a few clicks with the mouse. And, of course, websites have evolved beyond merely information-giving to including the increasingly common facility of service-giving. Which is precisely what the revamped Eswatini Government website offers to the general public.

On reaching the Government website, the user is presented with a single customized entry point to network-based information, which is known as the portal, derived from the Latin word porta, meaning gate or gateway, though that term is, of course, used for another functionality within the internet world.

In common with the rest of the global community, the Government of Eswatini is making considerable strides in e-governance, and a conspicuously important component is the general public’s access to Government services through its internet website. The objective is simple – to make the most informative and effective service available at the public’s fingertips. For that to be a reality rather than an empty boast, the website must be user-friendly, interactive and responsive to the latest technology, such as the mobile device. We believe that the upgraded website provides all of that.

One important e-Government service is the enabling of forms - for example, the application form for a travel document – to be downloaded from the website, thus saving the user both time and transport expense, and saving Government the cost and administrative task of providing stationery. A win-win.

Speed of access is a key feature of the enhanced website, with one click from the portal and the user is into the site of an individual Ministry, the design of each of these consistent with all others in the Government website. The structure of the website has been simplified to provide user-friendliness to all, including visitors, who will also have access to different languages. It caters for special needs by providing prescriptive text, magnifiers and the ability to change the size of the text.

In short, embracing an innovative design, the website captures existing and new information and services, plus new products and features, and provides a vastly improved user journey and, through the livechat feature, enables a fully interactive functionality.

Each Ministry will now have the ability and, indeed, the responsibility to fully update its own site within the Government website, as well as adopting an active approach to introducing new services and effecting other improvements as considered necessary. To ensure that standards in this regard are upheld across the website, my Office will perform an ongoing monitoring function. Traffic on the website will, in fact, be monitored daily, which will cover areas of special interest to the provider, such as the most visited pages and location of the user – valuable information for future improvement work.

I take this opportunity to thank all who have participated in this valuable project and I am aware that the depth of technical insight gained during the work will have empowered the team, and paved the way for future phases of digital enhancement in e-governance.

It is now my honour, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, to declare the revamped Government website duly launched.

Thank you.