Land registration offices ‘core of corruption’: Muhith; he observes slow progress in administrative reforms

By AKM Moinuddin

Dhaka, Oct 30 (UNB) – Branding the country’s land registration offices at the ‘core of corruption,’ Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Saturday said digitalization of major sectors would curb corruption, a key barrier to development.
“Our land registration system is at the core of corruption. Bribes are exchanged openly. Digitalizing such organizations is urgent because massive use of information technology can curb corruption and expedite development,” he said.
The finance minister said the government has taken up the challenge to digitalize the land registration system, though the progress so far has not been remarkable.
Muhith also observed ‘slow progress’ in administrative reforms and urged the technology-driven youths and those who are there in the ICT sector to come forward saying the country ‘needs revolutionary change in some sectors.’
The Finance Minister came up with this observation while addressing as chief guest the inaugural ceremony of the four-day BCS-ICT World Fair-2010 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.
State Minister for Science, Information and Communications Technology architect Yeafesh Osman attended the function as special guest with Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) president Mostafa Jobbar in the chair.
Convener of the fair committee Mujibur Rahman Shawpan and Chief Executive Officer of QUBEE Bangladesh Jerry Mobbs were also present at the inaugural session.
Muhith said the progress that has been made so far was ‘beyond his imagination and calculation’, but he admitted that the government has been unable to implement e-governance yet.
“We’ve made 64 digital portals at the district-level, many of these portals have updated content. More remarkably, the country will get 4500 information centers by November at the union parishad level, whereas we had thought of getting to only 1000 information centers across the country by the yearend,” he revealed.
Talking about paper-based documentation in public offices, Muhith said: “We couldn’t break out of the paper-based documentation process for various reasons. That doesn’t mean we’re not interested, the fact is that it takes time.”
Terming Bangladesh a ‘land of impossible attainment,’ the Finance Minister expressed his government’s desire to bring about massive changes in some priority sectors like the police department, and the education sector through proper utilization of ICT.
He said technology is the key to development and assured that there would be no ‘digital-divide’ in the country. Digital-divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.
Yeafesh Osman in his speech said there has been a lot of progress over the last 22 months in ‘digitalizing’ Bangladesh.
“Widespread access for people to cell-phones has played a vital role in creating sound GDP growth,” he said.
The state minister also confirmed 4500 information centers would be up and running by November for people at the union level to have access to information technology across the country. “The Country is being changed…we need to change our mindset”
“The nation had a dream…the dream is being transformed into reality with technology playing a supporting role,” he said.
Later, the finance minister and other guests visited different stalls at the fair.
The BCS arranged the fair, the largest multidimensional international event in the history of ICT of Bangladesh, with various national and international companies organizations demonstrating their products and services.
Though the major emphasis is on computer hardware and accessories, software, ITES, BPO products, telecom products, Multimedia, ICT educational products, laptops and digital lifestyle products are also being displayed at the fair incorporating their latest developments.
There will be seminars on relevant and recent topics. Symposia, product launches, competition and contests will be running side by side with the showcasing of the products and services.
END/UNB/