The office automation system, applied in Cyprus for the past several years, has been awarded the FileNet EMEAN Innovation Award, in addition to the Cyprus Innovation Prize, given by the Employers and Industrialists Federation.
The system, as Finance Minister Michalis Sarris told a press conference here today, has been operating at the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, the House of Representatives, the Central Information Service, the state archives, the Public Administration and Personnel Department and other government agencies and departments.
“The objective is to have the system operate in the entire public service. This is one of the most important infrastructure projects to put into effect electronic governance and it should reduce bureaucracy and improve services, thus offering better service to the public,†Sarris said.
He also said that Cyprus, in specific electronic services, ranks very high in the overall position among European Union members.
The estimated cost of applying the system is two million Cyprus pounds.
The system saves time, reduces the work load, ends the search through files or archives as these have been widely used so far because it provides the data needed in electronic form, it allows many users to have access to the same file at the same time, it gives easy and quick reference to documents and files and protects available data, in addition to allowing access to the system to persons abroad or from home.
“Our goal is to modernize fully the public service to provide through the internet and other channels of communication direct and effective service to the public, including businesses without any inconvenience and without waiting in queues or wasting time,†the Finance Minister pointed out.
Concluding he noted that the application of information technology will help Cyprus maintain and increase its competitiveness and improve the quality of life of its citizens.
The Office Automation System was first introduced in 1994 and four years later it was applied on a pilot system while in 2001 the Cabinet approved its extended use throughout the public service and in 2006 it was upgraded to an internet edition.
The system was selected among 1.200 applications, winning first place in “Innovation at Workâ€.
