At a conference in Taipei today to gather public opinion on a draft white paper for digital governance, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said he hopes the paper, themed smart Internet for a new Taiwan, will bring three changes to the nation—that the government would become an earnest learner, an attentive listener and a pragmatic doer.
"Such changes to policy formulation, public-private relationships and administrative processes can make Taiwan an important world paradigm of smart network applications."
While the government has already taken a step toward the digital revolution, it must reform at a more basic level in order to stay abreast of future trends, the premier said. Only by injecting the "DNA of the digital age" into every cell of the government can the administrative agencies begin transforming from within.
Hence, the premier hopes the white paper will review all government policies, determine their relationships and status in the physical and virtual worlds, and make augmentations or corrections where necessary. The goal is create a comprehensive environment where digital and online technologies can improve public administration, the economy, the environment and society.
Elaborating on the three changes, the premier first hopes that the government would become an earnest learner and change the way it thinks about its policies. To push major policies, for instance, government information technology personnel should be the first to be trained in the utilization and analysis of big data. The government should lead the way in applying new thinking to policies for the digital age.
Second, Premier Mao hopes the government would become an attentive listener and change its relationship with the private sector by opening new channels of communication. On the one hand, it can use its websites to release data and provide dynamic, real-time information for use by online communities and private businesses. On the other, it can use the Internet for gathering and analyzing public opinion, creating feedback mechanisms, and reestablishing a cooperative foundation of mutual trust and reliance.
Third, Mao hopes the government can become a pragmatic doer and change the way it administers its policies. He believes the government should use information and communication technology in all administrative processes so as to offer citizens more digitized services. The real and virtual realms should also be bridged to better link government policies to the people's will.
The preliminary draft of the white paper was completed after more than three months of feedback gathering at numerous meetings both in-person and online. The premier hopes the many views and recommendations heard at today's conference will enable officials to finalize the white paper more quickly and smoothly.