U.K. shells out millions to boost
e-gov.
by Swartz, Nikki
The U.K. government is spending 5 million [pounds sterling] (about
$8.6 million U.S.) to persuade the public to use the electronic services
that local authorities have spent billions putting in place, according
to Silicon.com.
The "Lose the Queues" campaign--to begin in early
2006--is designed to support the efforts of local authorities by
highlighting the benefits of accessing council services online, such as
flexibility and convenience.
The government claims the United Kingdom is leading the European
Union in terms of the sophistication of public authority e-services for
citizens, but statistics show it is currently below average in take-up
rates.
There is evidence that current usage of council e-channels still
lags behind public interest in using them, with about half the adult
population of England saying they are interested in using online
services.
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