Accra, Jan. 25, GNA - Italy is to assist Ghana implement its electronic governance programme to improve upon information flow leading to the creation of a national data centre in public administration. Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Public Sector Reforms Minister, under whose ministry the e-governance is being spearheaded, said on Friday a proposal to set up a bilateral working group to work on the blue print for the pilot phase had been agreed upon by both countries. Interacting with the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Fabrizio De Agostini, Mr Owusu-Agyei said President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano were both very much interested to seeing the successful implementation of the project, which would soon take off.

"The support from the Italian government would put in place a certified e-mail infrastructure including digital signature and electronic document work flow that would improve among other things, the quality of work in the public service."

He said ministries such as Communication, Finance, Attorney General and Justice, and Foreign Affairs were involved in the project. Mr Agostini said his call on the Minister was to speed up the process and reiterate the Italian government's commitment to the project.

He said the working group, currently in place were expected to work out the detailed modalities and practicalities for implementation to start, noting that the Italian government was prepared to share its experience on e-governance experience with Ghana. Mr Agostini said benefits of e-governance were enormous, adding that even citizens would have the opportunity to directly dialogue with public institutions.