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E-GovernmentMunicipal
effectiveness in Lebanon in delivering services and in
sustaining development in local communities has in the past
been constrained by many internal factors including
incomplete or inaccurate taxpayer information, inadequate
human resources, and an inability to fully enforce municipal
tax and fee laws. At the same time, municipal performance
has been affected by a lack of coordination and information
sharing among various government institutions.
An important component of the program designed to improve
municipal performance is the introduction of e-government,
that is, the use of technology to support daily operations,
to deliver services and information to citizens, and to
broaden citizen access to information and officials. An
e-government platform can lead to tangible improvements in
efficiency and effectiveness, offering at the same time
incentives to increase transparency at all institutional
levels.
Introduction of some e-government services in several major
municipalities has been instrumental in improving
communication and enhancing the quality of citizen
transaction processing. Interactive websites are also being
created to improve communication between government and
citizens and to allow electronic delivery of services to
citizens.
A key part of these efforts involves the development and
implementation of the Municipal Geographic Information
System (MGIS) designed to expand the taxation, inspection,
and auditing capabilities of the targeted institutions,
ultimately enabling additional revenue expansion to be
achieved. A number of large ömunicipalities as well as
municipal unions are receiving technical assistance related
to the MGIS. Officials can promote greater transparency in
the assessment and collection of taxes, and better ensure
for example that building licenses are properly and fairly
issued using the MGIS. Municipal councils can also utilize
the MGIS to support planning efforts including those related
to the identification and implementation of local economic
development projects.
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