Nastase Cabinet today will give the green light for the computerisation of the central and local administration, on the occasion of the long-awaited meeting of the Governmental Group for IT Promotion (GPTI), headed by the PM. The leading IT&C companies on the Romanian market will thus engage in a competition for nearly one billion dollars in contracts awarding.
The Group for IT Promotion today will discuss twenty governmental projects, part of the strategy for computerising the Romanian society to be completed over the next five years.
This projects will be submitted to PM Adrian Nastase for approval and then become subject to tenders co-ordinated by the Government.
The projects in March were evaluated by the Ministry for Communications and Information Technology at more than $900 million and are a huge opportunity for the companies in the field to conclude major contracts with the Romanian Government.
“The first projects will start as soon as Friday,” IT&C minister Dan Nica pledged yesterday. He is confident that the people will have the possibility to pay their taxes online by the end of the year, thanks to the Romania Gateway portal and, in certain areas, the prefects will be able to keep in touch with mayors by means of a video-conferencing system.
Now that the IT bids have been unfrozen by the Government, the IT&C companies on the Romanian market are showing a lot of interest in these projects.
“We shall participate in every single bid there is either directly or indirectly, through our business partners,” IBM Romania officials say.
Microsoft is already in talks with most of the ministries to explore the possibility of multiplying in Romania the eGovernment solutions implemented in Great Britain starting last year.
“As soon as you position yourself as a market leader, I don’t think there is any restriction whatsoever or reason not to take part in such projects. Of course, Oracle Romania is interested in the possible tenders that may be held,” atefan Cojocaru, Oracle Romania Managing Director, said in his turn.
The first eGovernment project to start on Friday is called Romania Gateway and was designed as a portal to promote Romania’s image abroad and as “the citizens’ main gateway to public services,” minister Dan Nica specified. The investment in the portal so far amounts to $100,000.
The project will also be backed with World Bank funds. So far, this institution has come up with $300,000, while the Romanian Government has requested a raise to $500,000.