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At present, the absence of a well organized information system (IS) leaves the delivery of efficient services to the public on the hands of an individual, thereby leaving room for corruption and nepotism. Thus, not only there should be such a system but it should be a computerized one as well.
One of the institutions in Asmara that have endorsed the use of Computerized Information System (CIS) is the Asmara City Hall, which has introduced and been using the system since 2002.
CIS involves the gathering, saving and presenting of different data in print or soft copies. In the central region for instance birth and marriage certificates, land and housing registration documents, water meter and billing records, documents pertaining to the house rent administration are among the many public records that have been entered into a central database for more efficient services to the public.
In 2002 the Administration of the Central Region launched the CIS campaign in collaboration with the Eritrean Centre of Information System (ECIS), which was established eight years earlier. Mr. Tewolde Ghebreab, Director of ECIS, says that the primary objective was to introduce a computer-based modern information system.
The administration of the Central region however had to make a number of changes before actually launching CIS. Some of the fundamental prerequisites to build a modern and well organized database include: evaluating and identifying the drawbacks of the previous working procedures; synchronizing the public’s registration cards and their contents with the service offered; matching the city map and zip codes with the coordinates on the ground; standardizing the Geez and Latin morphology of Eritrean names; as well as fixing tariff in line with the taxation system.
The study for all of these activities and their implementation was made practicable thanks to Mr. Yemane Dawit, the former manager of the Asmara City Hall,” says Mr. Tewolde.
One of the advantages of the CIS is that it saves time. Comparing the numerous appointments she endured to get her certificate of marriage with the prompt service she received while trying to get her child a birth certificate, a mother commended the excellent service being provided by the administration.
Mr. Kidanemariam Abraha, Head of the CIS at the central region, on his part recalls that Eritreans residing in the Diaspora were satisfied of the efficient services of the administration in processing the assignment of 5,000 plots of land (?? bonds).
He pointed out that before the introduction of the database clients had to go to eight different offices just to have a clearance issued. “Now all a clients needs to do is pay up at the casher’s booth and take the signed document from the person in charge, thus two offices only,” he added.
The main reason that most institutions present as an impediment to establish a well-organized database is its high cost.
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