Government Spends $1.7 Billion on ICT

Government Use of Information and Communication Technology: 2006  –  Media Release

In the 2006 financial year, total government operating expenditure on information and communication technology (ICT) was $1.1 billion, and total capital expenditure was $0.6 billion, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Of government organisations reporting ICT use, 99 percent had access to the Internet and 93 percent of government staff could access the Internet at work. Ninety-seven percent of organisations used a broadband connection to the Internet.

In the 12 months from August 2006, 77 percent of government organisations planned to invest in new or upgraded software, desktop hardware, and ICT infrastructure. Intended benefits from ICT investment were to improve: the efficiency of workflow, business activities and processes (77 percent), business continuity and security (74 percent), and quality of services (69 percent).

Factors seen to highly restrict government implementation of new ICT were: competing priorities, budget constraints and lack of qualified personnel. Seventy-six percent of organisations identified competing priorities as a highly- or moderately-restricting factor for government implementation of new ICT.

The 2006 Government Use of ICT Survey is the first survey of this type in New Zealand. More information on government use of ICT will be published in a detailed report in late 2007.

Dallas Welch
Acting Government Statistician

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