STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS 2004
Govt to launch Batho Pele portal
21 May 2004
The government will launch its Batho Pele (People First) Gateway within two months in an effort to improve public access to government services.
The government introduced Batho Pele in 1997 as an initiative to improve delivery in the public service based on the principle of putting people's interests first.
President Thabo Mbeki made the announcement during the opening of Parliament in Cape Town on Friday.
"Within two months, we will launch the Batho Pele Gateway Portal, which will provide streamlined government services online", Mbeki said.
"This will include services being provided through public information terminals at post offices and multi-purpose community centres (MPCCs)", Mbeki said.
MPCCs are government one-stop service centres offering basic services and government information to residents. Mbeki said that 66 MPCCs would have been built by the end of this year.
"Plans are being finalised to have at least one of
these in each of our 284 municipal areas", he said.
The government is also expected to refine its Imbizo programme of direct interaction between the government and all citizens, drawing on its experience over the last five years.
Source: BuaNews
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