PM Prayut calls for urgency in digital services

[webfact]

PM calls for urgency in digital services

By The Nation

 

File photo at 2015

 

EXPERT SAYS ALL MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES MUST FIRST STANDARDISE, LINK DATA PORTALS

 

THE prime minister yesterday told the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and other top officials to quickly implement a policy to provide more digital government services to the public, noting that results have so far not met his expectations.

 

The Digital Economy and Society minister and secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board will lead a new committee overseeing the task in keeping with the instructions from premier Prayut Chan-o-cha.

 

Meanwhile, a technology and legal expert said yesterday that the government needs to issue new legislation and standardise the databases of state agencies to deliver more digital services to the public.

 

Paiboon Amonpinyokeat of the P&P law firm said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s call for full-fledged digital government services offering better public convenience, is still not widely feasible due to legal and technological constraints. 

 

With the exception of the Foreign Ministry’s passport-issuing service, most government agencies still require people to provide a photocopy their ID card for various services, largely due to the inability to link the databases of all agencies in the public sector.

 

Paiboon said the country has no legislation similar to the US e-government and paper elimination laws, which requires all state agencies to comply with a policy governing electronic services. However, Thailand’s prime minister may exercise his power under an existing law to require all ministries to convert their databases into electronic portals, so digital services can be provided to the public soon. 

 

However, Paiboon said, measures are necessary to prevent and manage data abuse and data leaks, adding that related legislation on data privacy must also be implemented to ensure that personal data is properly protected.

 

According to Paiboon, there are also technical issues hindering the creation of a policy to deliver e-government services. For example, different government agencies use different data-storage software. This would have to be resolved before inter-governmental agencies can jointly create so-called big data to deliver seamless digital services to the public.

 

File photo at 2015

 

Regarding ID card data, Paiboon said fingerprint and facial recognition software are needed to update the national database for paperless e-government services. The government would also need to set up an Office of Data Privacy as part of any data privacy bill. This bill is expected to be enacted by the National Legislative Assembly later this year.

 

Data protection is very important because personal data is also shared by the private sector, including banks, said Paiboon.

 

The MDES is supposed to play a leading role in implementing the e-government policy and upgrading the databases into cloud computing and storage facilities, he said. The current Electronic Government Agency (EGA) lacks sufficient legal powers to carry out its task, he added.

 

He said most government agency databases were stand-alone systems that could not be synchronised with other systems.

 

Also, there is no law allowing the Interior Ministry’s population and ID-card database to be used by other agencies. Any existing inter-agency database linkage is on a case-by-case basis. For instance, a link between the Interior and Commerce ministries allows the use of an ID card to register the creation of a new firm. 

 

However, he said, it is easier to connect with the private sector’s databases such as those used by commercial banks, due to their standardisation under the supervision of the Bank of Thailand which has launched the PromptPay e-payment platform.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30352836

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-24

[Samui Bodoh]

"...The Digital Economy and Society minister and secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board will lead a new committee overseeing the task in keeping with the instructions from premier Prayut Chan-o-cha..."

 

Thank God! If there wasn't a new committee, how would things ever get done?

 

"...However, Paiboon said, measures are necessary to prevent and manage data abuse and data leaks, adding that related legislation on data privacy must also be implemented to ensure that personal data is properly protected..."

 

Hmm... isn't this a polite way of saying that the entire idea needs to be done from scratch? That there is currently no real honesty or protection within the Bureaucracy? That all those useless chair-warmers have no clue? That all those useless chair-warmers might actually have to take some responsibility for their actions?

 

"...According to Paiboon, there are also technical issues hindering the creation of a policy to deliver e-government services..."

 

Or, put another way, there is no inter-operability of computers from different ministries, so in order to achieve anything, you'll need to replace just about every database they have? Further that they will need to train the bureaucrats on how to actually manage the system?

 

"...He said most government agency databases were stand-alone systems that could not be synchronised with other systems..."

 

This sounds like an impossible job, or rather one that requires a re-jigging on the entire Thai government's computer system. In other countries this would require experts, budgets and time, but I am looking forward to the Thai way where the PM will simply declare it done by diktat.

 

Oh, by the way, should the Thai government actually get the system of inter-operating databases anytime soon, what will they do with all the thousands and thousands of surplus Bureaucrats? Even more 'inactive posts'? You can't just fire them as after a certain amount of time in the bureaucracy, they have become un-employable.

 

Questions, questions...

 

[bluesofa]

 

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

THE prime minister yesterday told the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and other top officials to quickly implement a policy to provide more digital government services to the public, noting that results have so far not met his expectations

Perhaps the PM should be giving Prawit today's 'punch in the face award'. as it was Prawit who who "started" this farce going. I put "started" in inverted commas as he clearly said the foreigner database would be ready in six months.

 

Ten days late already, and not one mention anywhere of the all-singing-all-dancing system. It's all listed below.

Anyone had their finger-prints scanned or had "e-passport data" used, now that TM6 is obsolete (the arrival card)? Anyone?

 

 

 

[davehowden]

Does this mean they will all have to upgrade from Windows 95 ?

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, davehowden said:

Does this mean they will all have to upgrade from Windows 95 ?

Windows? I thought they were all running DOS 6?

 

[Chang_paarp]

Think of all the fiefdoms that will crumble with other being able to check on the "facts" collected by other departments.

[Fex Bluse]

The real question is will they ask for outside help. Thai tech people have earned their terrible reputation. 

[coulson]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Paiboon Amonpinyokeat of the P&P law firm said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s call for full-fledged digital government services offering better public convenience, is still not widely feasible due to legal and technological constraints

Try tell him that.

[mikebell]

Linking data bases might help collect traffic fines from the 92% that don't pay.

[Cadbury]

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

PM calls for urgency in digital services

The mind boggles at the potential for digital services within the Country's corruption industry.

Software can now be created for those various sectors on the take with formulas created to automatically calculate percentage distributions to the various levels of the hierarchies. Of course there will have to be tightest possible digital security. 

- RTP Distribution Lists.

- Politicians kickbacks from "connected" friends in industry.

- Civil service funds stolen from the public and private sector industry.

- Customs and excise extorted from from the public and industry.

- School directors misappropriation of government funds and distribution to selected subordinates.

- Distribution of rorted monies from grandiose government funding schemes. (politicians, provincial officials and village leaders).

- Municipal kickbacks from preferred contractors.

 

For an enterprising software company the prospects are huge. Quite apart from any income from blackmail opportunities.

 

 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Cadbury said:

The mind boggles at the potential for digital services within the Country's corruption industry.

Software can now be created for those various sectors on the take with formulas created to automatically calculate percentage distributions to the various levels of the hierarchies.

{snipped}

For an enterprising software company the prospects are huge. Quite apart from any income from blackmail opportunities.

Why do I get the impression you've been reading the PMs mind?

 

[NCC1701A]

"...noting that results have so far not met his expectations.

 

 

[rtco]

[NCC1701A]

what are all the Thai government agencies going to say when they get a computer message saying "All your data is corrupt."

 

"How does computer know about corruption?! Did you tell it?"

 

 

 

[wgdanson]

Is he really 186cm tall?

[yellowboat]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

EXPERT SAYS ALL MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES MUST FIRST STANDARDISE, LINK DATA PORTALS

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is such a standardization which has been around since the 90's.  The "expert" speaks on non specifics.  Many databases speak ODBC, and if they don't, you dump your data into a text file, and then alter than text file so a more modern database and import it.  It is a kind of a fun job where you lock yourself into a room and drink coffee all day. 

[bluesofa]

24 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Is he really 186cm tall?

I assumed that was just a tall story.

That means he would be 6' 1" in old money - never!

 

[madmitch]

Does this mean that the promise of no need for ID cards and tabien baans at Government offices from next month has been put on hold?

[bluesofa]

16 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Does this mean that the promise of no need for ID cards and tabien baans at Government offices from next month has been put on hold?

I take it you mean the latest statement about interconnectivity between systems?

Who knows?

It's the usual -- make a PR statement with photo opportunity first - then worry about the pesky details later.

 

This is exactly the same as the UK government have been trying to do for years - perhaps more than a decade?

They still haven't succeeded in connecting all the different departments, despite having spent billions of pounds on it so far.

 

[trainman34014]

''So far not met his expectations'' .      Got news for him.....''So far he has not met my expectations'' !

[chama]

13 hours ago, coulson said:

Try tell him that.

Seems like Prayut spends a lot of time calling for improvements but is he providing and assets or support to accomplish any of this? 

[DrPhibes]

"All your (data) base are belong to us"  Zero Wing 16bit

 

Seriously, the IRS in the US has been trying to integrate their systems for years at a cost of over $4 Billion USD and failed.  Integrating multi database platforms is no easy task.