E‐Government in the Asia‐pacific region

Asia‐Pacific governments are only in the initial phases of adopting information and communications technology to improve financial management information and reporting, streamline the delivery of government services, enhance communication with the citizenry, and serve as a catalyst for empowering citizens to interact with the government. This article begins with a brief review of the potential benefits of e‐government in supporting public sector reform and poverty reduction. It then gives some examples of adoption of e‐government in recent years in the Asia‐Pacific region, to see the extent to which these benefits have materialised. It explains why the pace has been slower in the public sector than in the private sector, gives examples of six stages of e‐government, and reviews both the benefits and challenges of each stage. Finally, the article discusses three major, cross‐cutting challenges and suggests some directions for further research.