E-governance justified William Akotam Agangiba 1 Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of Mines and Technology Tarkwa, Ghana captaingiba@hotmail.com Abstract - Information and Communication Technology today has become an indispensable factor in our lives, gaining wide application in human activities. This is due to the fact that, it is less expensive, more secure, allows speedy propagation and information access. It serves as a good base for the development and success of today’s relatively young technologies. It has relieved people from manual day-to-day activities in such areas as businesses, transport/travel, academics, banking, broadcasting, entertainment, research and discovery. This paper takes an overview study of e-governance, one of the most demanding applications of information and communication technology for public services. The paper summarizes the concept of e- governance, its major essence and some ongoing e- governance activities in some parts of the world. Keywords: E-governance, Government, Human activities, Information Technology (IT), Service delivery, citizen. I. INTRODUCTION E-Governance is the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for delivering government’s services, exchange of information communication transactions, integration of various stand-alone systems and services between Government-to-citizens (G2C), Government-to- Business (G2B), Government-to-Government (G2G) as well as back office processes and interactions within the entire government frame work. Through e- Governance, government services are made available to the citizens in a convenient, efficient and transparent manner. Three main target groups that can be distinguished in governance concepts are Millicent Akotam Agangiba 2 Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of Mines and Technology Tarkwa, Ghana millikon2001@yahoo.com government, citizens and businesses/interest groups [5]. Three notable aspects to e-governance are (a) automation of government routine functions (b) Web-enabling government functions so for access of the citizen (c) Achievement of openness, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency through improvement of government processes. E-governance promotes efficiency, reduces time delays, enforces accountability and brings transparency in the working of the governmental system. As a result, it has become an integral part of democracy. All important government policies, acts, rules, regulations, notifications that are useful to the general public including land records, examination results, crime records, vehicle registration, birth and death registration, training and education, employment information, policies and legislation, telephone directory, etc. are made available on the Internet and can be accessed by the public free of cost. It is beneficial to the citizens as they can enjoy faster, effective and timely government services and also to the government as it can become more integrated into the community and can focus its resources where they are needed the most. E- governance that involves technology, policies, infrastructure, training and funds is becoming popular around the world including India and other European and Western countries. E-Governance is not just about government web site and e-mail. Neither is it just about service delivery over the Internet or digital access to government information or electronic payments. E-governance aims at changing how citizens relate to governments as well as how citizens relate to each other. It will bring forth new concepts of citizenship, both in terms of needs and responsibilities [1],[2],[3],[4].