e-Governance & e-Government
e-Governance and e-Government are increasingly being emphasized as ways for governments to strengthen good governance. If implemented strategically e-governance can not only improve efficiency, accountability and transparency of government processes, but it can also be a tool to empower citizens by enabling them to participate in the decision-making processes of governments. e-Government services for the poor assist governments in reaching the yet ‘unreached’ and hereby contribute to poverty reduction in rural and remote areas. At the same time, this process also enables involvement and empowerment of marginalized groups through their participation in the political process. Despite the developmental potential, few governments in the Asia-Pacific region have planned for and implemented e-government strategically directly targeting poor people. This is despite the fact that more than 60 percent of the population in the Asia-Pacific region lives in rural areas and the majority of them are