Tensions and Synergies in

Karnataka, India: A Study in

E-Government

Shefali Virkar

Oxford Internet Institute

University of Oxford

shefali.virkar@oii.ox.ac.uk

A Brief Discussion of the Concept of E-

Government Government possibly the single largest user,

producer, holder and collector of information (Ronaghan 2002)

New ICTs potential to facilitate the electronic production, transmission , processing and consumption of increasingly vast quantities of information

Focus on the use of ICTs to streamline internal processes and improve managerial efficiency

E-Government in the Indian

Context India: one of the largest investors in e-

Government initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region

Central government spending on e-Government is estimated to have grown 60% between 2002/03 and 2003/04

Projected to touch US$ 3.3 billion by 2008/2009

(PSTM Report, 2004)

Consequences for development?

The Indian Experience with E-

Government Can be broadly divided into two distinct phases

Late 1960s early 1990s: Centralised planning, focus on the use of ICTs in Central Government

Departments (Madon, 2004)

Early 1990s present: Revival of interest in local government, move towards applying ICTs to a

wider range of applications within urban and rural

local bodies.

Three Factors Responsible for the

Shift Devolution of

centralised

power to state

and local-level

bodies

Growth of

the Indian IT

industry

Bureaucrats

and politicians

with

computer vision

Property Tax

Currently the largest source of revenue for local

government bodies, particularly in urban areas

Problems with the tax collection system

Administrative inconsistencies

Legal issues and multiplicity of tax laws

Corruption

Distinct lack of accountability and transparency

Political Interference

Poor Data

The eGov Property Tax Application

Partnership between the eGovernments

Foundation, the Directorate of Municipal

Administration and the Survey of India

Launched in 56 towns and cities across

Karnataka

Improved property tax record keeping

Detailed digital GIS mapping

Process Re-engineering at a

Glance

Step 1: Writing up the Property Register

Step 2: Street Naming and Property

Numbering

Step 3: Digitising Property Tax Records

Step 4: GIS Mapping of Locality

Components of the System

Data

Use of standardised data structures and

collection methods

Accurate street surveys and GIS maps

People Public acceptance through awareness

campaigns and legislation

Political will at top levels

Training of Government IT personnel

Technology Simple software interface for both Government

staff and citizens

Process Easy-to-create daily reports

Rigorous monitoring and measurement systems

Value added services for citizens

Rubber Hits Road: Summary of

Initial Results

Modest increase in Nominal Revenue in real terms

However data predicts that the system would

eventually lose money

If the system in theory can overcome the design - actuality gap (Heeks 1999), then what is the real problem?

Barriers to Effective

Implementation

Lack of Good Data

Legal barriers

Opposition from Stakeholders

Technological Barriers

Differences in Skills and Capacities

Conclusions: Synergies and

Tensions

Low revenue partly to do with multiplicity of methods and measures used to calculate tax

Political will to bring tax rates in line with inflation and periodically revise tax rates key

Only then will the eGov Property Tax System really take off, promoting rigorous tax compliance and significantly contributing to an increase in revenue

Synergies and Tensions (contd.)

e-Government applications possess the

potential to improve internal managerial

efficiency and quality of public services

Reality for the India is that resources to fund

development projects are scarce, instant

success is not guaranteed

Is administrative reform important enough to

justify the risks and opportunity costs incurred?