MOtor VEhicles Online MOVE ON

Abstract

Providing the government services to the citizen is still a burden to the governments in most of the developing countries, including Sri Lanka. Although the citizens do not expect complete free services from the government, the participation for the services is poor in these countries. Lack of transparency in government procedures, reluctance to change as well as hesitation to take risks has resulted in stagnated government procedures. The transition from manual to digital is usually considered as a threat to the bureaucracy. Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) is no exception to this, but has been forcibly dragged by the business needs to cope up with the international trading trends. Even after a decade of computerization, voices still raise for the manual processing, for various reasons.

Extending the vehicle clearance process over the Internet can be considered as a change from the ‘procedure and power center’ to ‘citizen and service center’ mode. MOtor VEhicles ONline – “MOVEON”, this project work, centers on the e-Government concept in extending the services to the citizen in the web environment and increasing the transparency and accountability of the services of the SLC. This will bridge the gap between the two departments, SLC and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles (RMV), involved in the process by making them to share a common data set.

The project work is considered as a burning need of the SLC in providing the EDI services in the motor vehicle import process due to the non-availability of valuation reports for motor vehicles. No sooner the project work comes into real operation it will hinder the possibilities for frauds in motor vehicle import.

Above all the facilities offered to the general public will change the way the people think of the government services, from barrier for business into friendly helping hand. Time, money and effort wasted in obtaining certification for legal importation status of motor vehicles will no longer be a burden with MOVEON.