ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

E-GOVERNMENT

THE COSTA RICANEXPERIENCE

May 2002May 2002

PublicFTAA.ecom/inf/142

June 4, 2002

Original: SpanishTranslation: FTAA Secretariat

E-GOVERNMENT Costa Rica’s Experience

I. Some important Internet and electronic commerce indicators

II. Policies to promote electronic commerce

III. Conclusions

I. Some important Internet and electronic commerce

indicators

E-GOVERNMENT Costa Rica’s Experience

Internet access and use in Costa Rica (2000)

Population: 4 million   Use the Internet: 20% population Have a computer: 21% households Internet literate and actually use it: 300,000 households

National telephony coverage: 95%

Literacy rate: 95.5%

Costa Rica EXPORTS OF GOODS

1984-2000

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,0001

98

4

19

85

19

86

19

87

19

88

19

89

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

Year

US

$ m

illio

ns

Others ITA

Traditional

II. Policies to promote Internet and electronic commerce

E-GOVERNMENT Costa Rica’s Experience

“Digital Agenda”

1.     Improve infrastructure

2.    Universal Internet access

3. New economy

4.     Promote digital government

5.     Legal framework

Digital Agenda I. Infrastructure

  Objective: broaden Internet service

capacity (bandwidth), lower cost and provide top quality infrastructure

Digital Agenda I. Improving Infrastructure

Initiatives Upgrading connectivity: telephony, cable connections,

etc. Fibre-optic ring connections Maya 1 and Arcos 1 optical fibre submarine system Network installation

a) Advanced Internet Network

b) GOBNET, CRNET

c) Internet Network 2

d) EDUNET

Broadband Connectionsper 100 inhabitants

Costa Rica*

South KoreaCanada

United StatesAustria

NetherlandsBelgiumSwedenDenmarkIcelandFinlandJapan

Switzerland

Australia

ItalySpain

Great Britain

NorwayFrance

GermanyPortugal

(*) Forecast by MICIT Source: Prepared with OECD and MICIT data.

Digital Agenda 2. Universal Internet access

  Objective: Extensive access to new

technologies; electronic mail and Internet as vehicles for trade, education and cultural exchange

 

Digital Agenda 2. Universal Internet Access

Initiatives:

a) Seamless communication

b) LINCOS

c) Lower Internet rates

d) Education and Human Resources:  Omar Dengo Foundation CEFOF CENFOTEC

Digital Agenda 2. Universal Internet access

Seamless communication

a) www.costarricense.cr :

Costa Rica: free e-mail First country worldwide 150,000 users b) Telecenters: A total of 187 telecenters in all towns throughout the country,

public libraries and 30 post offices. Objective: 20% of the population

Digital Agenda 2. Universal Internet access

LINCOS

www.lincos.net Costa Rican Foundation for Sustainable Development. Has two

“strategic partners”: Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR)

A true alternative way forward for remote communities. The program consists in setting up digital community centers

offering access and intelligent use of information technologies, housed in a suitably re-conditioned cargo containers.

Digital Agenda 2. Universal Internet access

LINCOS

Services and Applications

Telemedicine E-mail Videoconferencing Internet Electronic commerce and distance education And much more

Digital Agenda 3. New Economy

Objective: boost the growth of world class, Costa Rican technology-based companies that are integrated into the global economy; adapt the way business is done to internal and external factors

Digital Agenda 3. New Economy

Initiatives

Information Systems: (www.infoagro.go.cr), (www.siec.go.cr ), (www.marketplacecostarica.com), (www.mipyme.com)

Digital Agenda4. Digital Government as model user

Objective: The government must act as a model user, providing local content and all types of on-line facilities for citizens (simple procedures, greater transparency, information-oriented culture).

 

 

 

Digital Agenda 4. Digital government as model user

Initiatives

Government portal (www.go.cr) CompraRed” (www.hacienda.go.cr/comprared) On-line tax declarations and returns (

www.hacienda.go.cr/tributacion) (www.hacienda.go.cr/aduanas) BUDHA (www.hacienda.go.cr/budha/) Payroll (www.ccss.sa.cr/sicere)

Digital Agenda 4. Digital government as model user

Initiatives

On-line payment of services (www.ice.go.cr/servicios, www.cnfl.go.cr/linea/pago.htm, www.netsalud.sa.cr/aya, www.bncr.fi.cr, www.bancobcr.com)

One-stop portal (www.procomer.com) Costa Rican Legal Information System (www.poder

-judicial.go.cr ó www.pgr.go.cr) Office of the Comptroller General of the

Republic (www.cgr.go.cr) National Registry (www.registronacional.go.cr) Social Portal (www.imas.go.cr)

Digital Agenda 5. Legal framework

Objective: Develop a legal framework that provides the level of certainty required while not imposing but, rather, eliminating unnecessary trade barriers.

Digital Agenda 5. Legal framework

i. - “Draft Law on Digital Signatures and Digital Certificates”, File No. 14.276, of 30 April Published in Official Gazette No 82, Bulletin No 31.

ii.- Other draft laws

 

Digital Agenda 5. Legal framework

iii.- Intellectual Property:

Law No. 7979 of 31 January 2000, reforms to the Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights

Law No. 7968 of 22 December 1999, WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT),

Law No. 7967 of 22 December 1999, WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT).

Law on Procedures for Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, Law No 8039 of 2 October 2000.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater efficiency, lower costs, and transparency in public administration are some of the intrinsic benefits of adopting information technologies, which, in turn, will make it possible to attain a higher level of democracy.

E-government facilities include user access to information on State institutions, formalities and requirements, consultation services and on-line transactions and payments. The information is provided with links between all the agencies and agents.

E-government must operate as a tool for integrating the private and public sectors and civil society.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to simplifying procedures, ensuring enhanced transparency and cutting red tape, it paves the way for an information-oriented culture, thus eliminating the obstacles to using digital media.

The aim is to create a more efficient State through the use of the Internet and at the same time, its role as a model user of information technologies.

With the State serving as “model-user,” people’s trust in the use and security of these technologies will increase. Consequently, Internet supply and demand will increase and lead to a more favorable environment for electronic commerce.

CONCLUSIONS

The task will not be easy. Systems that add value to government tasks are needed to create local Internet content and contribute to efforts to close the digital divide, support the private sector and improve infrastructure.

“Creating a digital superhighway is not enough if it is not used or if people do not know how to use it, and this is where the government plays a fundamental role - in promoting and using this superhighway.”