A top EU commissioner has been banging on about the importance of eGovernment

Speaking last week in Barcelona Erkki Liikanen said that eGovernment is now a "central theme in information society policy at all levels" and that it should "help to deliver better government". He believes that the public sector can be "made more efficient by digitising information and processes" while also making "democracy function better". eGovernment is about "increasing democratic participation and involvement", he said, which should make decision-making "visible and transparent" leading to "increased transparency and accountability". Oh, and let's not forget that eGovernment should aim to deliver public services in such a way that they are "accessible and relevant" for all. But he warned that Governments have a much more difficult task to fulfil than businesses. Even though PC Internet access has rapidly rising and is now around 43 per cent, television reaches almost all households.