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E-Government

Municipal 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.