MENA countries face the following challenges
- Slow or stagnating economic growth;
- Little innovation and technological advancement;
- Significant “digital divide”;
- Growing water and environmental concerns;
- High dependence on natural resource exports;
- Little economic integration in the region;
- Weak governance and large and expensive public sectors;
- Military conflicts and related expenditures;
- High perceived risks and capital flight and brain drain;
- Non-compliance with international standards and norms;
- Poor “good governance” practices, which concern voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, the rule of law, and control of corruption.
The proposed solution to the outlined problems is e-Government, which, if implemented properly, can catalyze reforms in public and private sectors, improving the provision of government services and ultimately increasing productivity and leading to economic growth.
E-Government
Evidence from Arab and other countries suggests that implementation of e-Government can help eliminate physical and virtual barriers for people and communities, promote efficiency, reduce time and costs, minimize corruption, improve transparency, and promote democracy and direct participation.
Information and communication technologies (ICT) used to be mainly used for internal communication, but the new ICT model suggests employing ICT for external processes and data exchange. “E-Government” thus refers to “the application of ICT to improve efficiency and effectiveness, create transparency and accountability of informational and transactional exchanges within government, between governments and government agencies at national, municipal and local levels, (G2G), citizens (G2C) and businesses (G2B).”
However, there are some challenges associated with the implementation of e-Government in the MENA countries:
- Need for strong and visionary leadership since public opinion does not play a significant part in policy reform;
- Development of reliable, well-connected, and secure technological infrastructure;
- Improvement of institutional infrastructure – i.e., implementation of laws and economic policies intended to protect and promote e-initiatives by creating clear and predictable rules of conduct;
- Creation of e-Human capital by educating and training the population;
- Implementation of specific legislation, such as data protection and freedom of information laws, the establishment of e-identities and prohibition of cyber-crimes.
E-Readiness
Generally, the MENA countries exhibit a lack of e-Readiness, compared to the rest of the world, and this problem needs to be tackled by each country individually at the national level, but also at the collective regional level – for instance, by joining the World Bank and UN Development Programme initiatives supporting regional projects.
Potential Reforms
- Creation of relevant institutions and government positions;
- Integration and re-engineering of business processes;
- Improvement of human capital in the public sector;
- Implementation of e-Procurement practices;
- Improvement of political participation and citizen engagement.
Policy Recommendations
The authors recommend combining active national and regional strategies and linking them to international projects:
- Arab regional strategy: similar level of development and common language in the MENA countries allow for regional cooperation in the areas of ICT infrastructure (investment in broadband technology), harmonization of e-legislation, development of a common core ICT curriculum, and participation in selected international projects.
- National strategies: implementation of a coordinated ICT strategy, adoption of relevant regulations and policies, development of and investment in ICT infrastructure, and e-Human capital.
Conclusion
Given the challenges faced by the MENA countries, successful implementation of e-Government at national and regional levels can give the necessary boost to the economy and democracy of these countries.