AIIA welcomes govt plans to digitise all services by 2025

The Federal Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small & Family Business, the Hon. Stuart Robert MP, has announced that all government services will be online by 2025. The Minister stated that both the updated whole of Government ICT Architecture and the Digital Government Strategy will drive Australia to be a top three digital government in the world by 2025 and ensure all government services will be available digitally by 2025 with a single entry point for users. The Minister also said that in order to execute this vision, continued leadership and investment by government will be required to meet these targets.

Simon Bush, General Manager of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), said Minister Robert’s announcement is an important challenge and opportunity to government agencies to increase digital capability. “To hear the federal government’s commitment to digitise their services by 2025 is incredibly pleasing. Australia’s aim to become one of the top 3 digital governments in the world by 2025 is achievable and will have significant benefits for all end users. Digital technology can deliver benefits to both service delivery and cost reduction; it is a massive opportunity that our country needs to grasp,” Bush said.

Bush also noted that over the past two years, as governments have increased their digital service delivery, Australians have embraced technology’s benefits, from Service Victoria to Service NSW. “Australia already has the skills and know-how and it is up to the government to take advantage of this by working with local organisations to utilise our local knowledge and IP. By 2026, 1.1 million ICT sector jobs are expected to be created and all governments must work to ensure they support ICT skills at all levels of the economy,” Bush said.

AIIA CEO Ron Gauci said the AIIA has been working on developing and presenting the best ways the federal government can work with industry to deliver leading services for Australians. “Recently, the Australian ICT sector has grown stronger to become Australia’s third-largest economic sector. Australians have the skills but we need strong investment from the ICT industry to support the government’s aim to become a leading digital government. We look forward to ongoing announcements from the government to further invest in continued digital transformation and Australian ICT skills support,” Gauci said.

The AIIA is a not-for-profit organisation that strives to fuel Australia’s future social and economic prosperity through technology and innovation.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Tomasz Zajda