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Program idea
Electronic Russia – in simple words about far from simple things
Official text of the Program
Recipes for effective state management
The liberalization of economics, acceleration of economic growth, doing away with bureaucratic barriers are fine and correct words. But only words are not enough. If they are not supported by actions, the Russian economic order will not be changed. The Federal Target-oriented Program (FTOP) “Electronic Russia 2002-10” is the road to expectations that the work of state institutions and enterprises can become more fast and effective.
The “Electronic Russia” program is calculated for 9 years, during which it will be necessary to undertake measures aimed at informatization of Russia. The program envisages making of investments to the sum around USD 2.4 billion. What we mean is, in fact, investments that are expected to bring real profit. Therefore, as the Program envisages, by 2007, the share of products of IT industry in Russian GDP should increase from current 0.5 to 20%, and hi-tech export volume 15-20 times (up to USD 2.5 billion).
The Program envisages reformation of IT-market normative regulation, introduction of new technologies in the state structures and private sector, launching of education programs intended for raising the Russians’ computer-literacy level and building of a large-scale communications infrastructure. In result of the program implementation, all Russian colleges and universities and more than half secondary schools will be connected to the Internet, e-libraries will be launched, telemedicine systems introduced, etc.
Developers
The idea of “Electronic Russia” appeared in early 2001 when the RF Ministry of trade and economic development (MTED) was working over the country strategic development plan up to year 2010. It was clear right from the start that in order to reduce the economic lag behind the developed countries, it will be necessary to develop the hi-tech sector, in which it will be possible to reach a higher productivity level than in the raw-materials sector. And without computers and a powerful telecommunication (TC) infrastructure all this will be impossible.
In February 2001, Russian Prime-minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a regulation on development of “Electronic Russia” program. In two month, the Program initial version was ready, which later on was considered at the enlarged session of the Board of the RF MTED. Upon numerous coordination with various departments, revealing the opinion of business community and introduction of the corresponding corrections both in the Program contents and budget, in January 2002 the “Electronic Russia” was adopted by the government. The RF Ministry of communications and informatization (MCI) was appointed as the Program coordinator.
Chief developer of the program was the Higher School of Economics (HSE) – one of the key state universities in Russia in economic and managerial areas. Apart from HSE, the document was developed by the RF Ministry of trade and economic development, Ministry of communications and informatization, Federal agency for government communications and information. Apart from that, development of “Electronic Russia” was participated by the Bureau of economic analysis (BEA), Interdepartmental analysis center (IAC), Informika Research Institute, experts of Russian and foreign IT-companies, representatives of academic science. The representative character of a team engaged in the program preparation allowed to take into account the demands of all community layers and achieve that in result of the Program implementation all these demands are satisfied to the maximum.
Program purposes
What is “Electronic Russia”? What are the purposes its drives at? To economic purposes may be referred the challenge of building the economics oriented at consumption and export of information products and services. According to developers’ idea, this will help to cardinally reduce Russia’ lagging behind other countries in the new technologies use and organically integrate our country into the world economics. An important political challenge of the program consists in launching optimal conditions for development of a civil community. The idea is: in the country with a high degree of information openness there are far less opportunities for abuses in relation to citizens on the part of the power representatives. Using of IT in this connection will allow to ensure this kind of openness. In actual fact, the possibility to send a request by e-mail will largely facilitate communication with the state structures for ordinary citizens.
The prerequisites for the program introduction has become a teething gap between Russia and developed countries in IT area. This equally relates both to the scanty participation share of national IT in the country’s GDP and to the low level of population computerization. At that, quite a number of factors create obstacles for introduction of new technologies: from low readiness of the state to their application and high monopolism level in industry to imperfection of legislative base and unjustified administrative barriers. If e take into account that the economics informatization degree becomes a defining factor of the country’s competitive strength, such lagging behind presents a threat to the economic safety of the state.
Despite the available situation, Russia has an opportunity to come out of it in the shortest time possible, as it possesses high personnel and education potential, and the national IT sector is growing together with every year. The “Electronic Russia” is called to create conditions at which Russia will be able to maximally quickly reach the same level of introduction of information and communication technologies with the developed countries. The Program measures implementation will allow not only to increase the effectiveness of state administration, competitive ability of economics and the society development level, but will assist in making Russia one of the key information powers of the world.
Electronic state
The “Electronic Russia” program envisages full revision, and later – change of the legal-normative base regulating the IT area. Priorities: efficient protection of author’s rights, adoption of laws on electronic commerce and documents turnover, regulation of access to the federal information resources. It is also planned to make the constraints on development of IT-industry less rigid, facilitate the procedures of receiving necessary licences, raise investment attractiveness of the branch in order to ensure the inflow of capital into this sector of economics.
Large attention in the Program is paid to informatization of the state management. The concept of Electronic government envisages a cardinal change of the principle of interrelations of the state with the citizens. It is planned to noticeably expand the volume of information that the state structures will be obliged to provide to the citizens, including via the Internet. In particular, it is planned in mandatory order to publish in the Internet the draft laws and government regulations, information on the budgets formation and execution, current tenders, reports on results of work of state enterprises and even the results of checkouts conducted by the Accounts Chamber and other controlling structures.
Apart from that, access will be opened to various informational and statistical databases. Their subject matter will be rather inclusive – from marketing research, reference information on enterprises and product catalogues to the data on registration of real estate transactions or issued patents. A simple example: launching of databases of technical-research activity results and of intellectual property will allow to noticeably facilitate the search of information required for starting and modernization of production.
The program emphasizes the general introduction in the state structures of e-documents turnover systems. These systems will not be autonomous, they will be able to communicate with each other (the information between various structures will also be communicated in e-form) and with the outside world. It is planned to introduce into the system of remote submission of documents to the Ministry of taxes and dues (MTD), State Statistics Committee (SSC) and Ministry of antimonopoly policy (MAP), customs structures, etc. Also, the majority of state tenders and purchases will be conducted in electronic form.
Electronic economics
The benefits provided by “Electronic Russia” to private companies are not restricted to the improvement of normative base in IT area. Also, the Program envisages state support of IT export. For these purposes it is planned to implement measures oriented at promotion of Russian companies in the world markets, creation in Russia of the image of the country specializing in manufacture of intellectual products. The “Electronic Russia” will promote attraction of Russian specialists to participation in the international development and standardization programs in IT area.
One of the Program challenges is creation of conditions for formation of venture funds institution as one of the most efficient instruments of financing the innovation projects. It envisages support of technoparks in which hi-tech companies will be able to organize their businesses with the minimum of expenses. State officials will consult young company leaders on the aspects of joining the world market or attracting investments.
The companies having no relation to hi-tech area will also benefit on “Electronic Russia”. Firstly, owing to an opportunity to submit the tax and other reports in e-form, and, secondly, on informing the companies by means of various e-databases. This will facilitate the relations with the state structures and help them more effectively look for partners, make purchases, etc. The “Electronic Russia” also plans to organize training and improving the qualification of IT-workers. This Program budget allocates for these purposes 3.5 billion rubles.
Electronic community
Ordinary citizens are also among the “Electronic Russia” purposes. The program plans to launch the new technologies infrastructure and training programs for their use. For these purposes, it is planned to launch throughout the country a wide network of access points to the Internet. In particular, the so-called public access to the Internet centers will appear in each populated locality whose population exceeds 10 thousand people. These centers will be located at the post offices, libraries, schools, colleges and other state and municipal institutions. The “Electronic Russia” will spend 26 billion rubles, i.e., one third of its budget for training and retraining of personnel.
It is planned to noticeably improve the methodic and technical-material base of education establishments. Up to year 2005, it is planned to connect to the Internet all higher schools, professional colleges and no less than 60% of schools. By 2010, the fittings of education establishments will reach such a level that every four students or pupils will have one computer. The revolutionary changes will take place in remote learning area, which is especially vital for such an extended country. The state order for distanced learning will be increased, share of open learning forms will reach 20-30%, each professional college will have to publish its curriculums in the Internet. The program will not overlook the aspect of health care, social assistance , science and culture.
Chronology
The “Electronic Russia” is subdivided into three large phases.
Throughout 2002, it is planned to carry out the analysis of level of Russia’s informatization in all areas: state, budget, commercial, public. It is also planned to carry out the audit of the normative-legislative base of IT and learn from the experience of their success introduction. First projects of transition to e-documents turnover in the state power structures, and projects of modernization of education systems will begin to be implemented.
In the second phase (2003-04) such projects will continue to develop giving a start to the effort for Russia’s promotion in the world markets as a provider of services and solutions in IT area. A single TC infrastructure for the public and educational Internet, and a base for training and retraining of specialists will be formed.
Third phase (2005-10) will be marked by massive distribution of Its in the real sector of economics. Apart from that, prerequisites for realization of the citizens’ rights for access to information will be formed. The results of previous phases will form the basis for a complex introduction of the standardized documents-turnover systems both at the intra- and interdepartmental levels.
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