Taipei, New Taipei cities top e-government awards

2014-10-20

Taipei and New Taipei cities performed well at the WeGO, or World e-Governments Organization of Cities and Local Governments, Awards announced Oct. 15, topping the categories of services and digital divide, respectively.

Recognized for seamlessly linking diverse public transport systems by means of a well-rounded information system, Taipei City Government’s Smart and Easy Traveling program was heralded by WeGO as a services model for other countries and territories.

The latest honor builds upon the city’s 2012 success when it won the organization’s Outstanding e-Government Prize for the 1999 Citizen Hotline.

Equally praiseworthy is New Taipei City Government’s Happy, Healthy Elders @ New Taipei project, a cloud computing campaign facilitating administrative procedures by integrating relevant resources online. The free courses enabling seniors and the underprivileged to acquire digital capabilities are making a real difference in the lives of residents, according to WeGO.

“New Taipei has been working hard to develop services with the needs of citizens in mind,” said Wu Chao-ming, an official in charge of the city’s e-government promotion. “To bridge the digital divide between remote and urban regions, we have offered 7,395 free computing classes since 2011 familiarizing over 150,000 residents with our information technology-based services.”

According to WeGO, 68 cities such as Barcelona, Helsinki, Hong Kong and Singapore contested the five categories of digital divide, efficiency, open city, services and urban management at this year’s awards. The presentation ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 5 during the organization’s general assembly in Chengdu, mainland China.

South Korea-based WeGO was founded in 2010 to promote sustainable city development based on e-government practices.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=222972&CtNode=413)