The Dubai eGovernment has announced that Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) is the first government entity to join its government service bus (GSB).

The move is aimed at enabling government entities in the emirate to electronically get the data of the registered account holders from Dewa’s database easily and smoothly, a statement from the authority said.

Electronic linkage of Dewa’s systems with the GSB platform, which is electronically linked with Dubai government entities, allows the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) affiliated to Dubai Land Department to electronically get the required customer’s data related to the electricity and water account holder from Dewa’s database in a fast, secure and effective manner, thereby becoming the first beneficiary of the linkage.

Furthermore, Rera’s customers also benefit from the linkage for completing their transactions without having to move from one entity to the other for the needed seals, approvals or information.

Government entities interested in obtaining information on the customers registered in Dewa’s database can approach it directly to allow them to benefit from such information. Once given permission, a government entity will automatically avail of the service, the statement said.

Ahmad Bin Humaidan, director general of Dubai eGovernment, said: “Dewa has joined the GSB platform based on Dubai eGovernment’s vision of easing the lives of people and businesses interacting with the government and contributing to establishing Dubai as a leading economic hub for providing government services to citizens, residents, visitors and businesses and allowing an easy and smooth access to them with the aim of facilitating their transactions, easing their lives and saving their time consumed for completing any transaction.”

“Dewa joining this platform is in line with Dubai eGovernment’s call during the recently held Third eTransformation Forum in which all government entities were asked to join the GSB platform, which is a key enabler of excellence in integrated services, in view of the fact that the platform facilitates the linkage of eServices and systems in a flexible, secure, cost-effective and speedy manner, allowing the exchange of the information required for completing government transactions.”

“The GSB platform provides the electronic applications required for Dewa and beneficiaries, currently limited to Rera, to be interconnected in order to save the time and effort of the public by allowing their government transactions that need data and approvals from several government entities to be processed via one entity only,” Bin Humaidan said.

This stands as a practical example of the connected government concept, he said, noting that Dubai eGovernment would also provide the technical support and co-ordination required for electronic linkage.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, said: “This step comes as part of our strategy to establish a balanced and effective infrastructure, develop our services and upgrade our eServices in line with the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, which is aimed at consolidating Dubai’s leading position in the region and enhancing its role as a global economic and financial pole.”

“Dewa is introducing the latest technologies and solutions in all its electronic operations with the aim of consolidating the connected government concept, facilitating customer services by securely linking its database with the eGovernment and reducing paper transactions and customers’ personal visits, thereby integrating with the objectives of Dubai strategic plan for consolidating the bases of sustainable development.”

The GSB platform provides the common infrastructure required for enabling government entities to ensure the integration of their eServices with a secure and reliable environment, considering that the platform is an intermediary among electronic government services that allows an array of common facilities among these entities to exchange data and information and at the same time verify the user’s identity.

The strategic objective of the platform is to cause electronic government services to be integrated and help government entities save costs through providing a unified infrastructure and a centralised system that connect them in a secure, flexible and speedy manner.

Dubai eGovernment, on the other hand, represents through the platform an advanced connecting link among Dubai government entities in terms of databases and integrative systems for the purpose of saving customers’ time and effort and alleviating the burdens of these entities. – TradeArabia News Service