Definition of Data

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Main Focus of Document

This document outlines Malta's Digital Strategy from 2014 through to 2020, and focuses on addressing current ICT challenges and creating digital citizens, digital businesses and digital government

Target Beneficiaries or Sector

all sectors of society

Key Elements

The aim is to ensure that by 2020 there exist digital citizens, digital businesses and digital government, supported by legal and regulatory framework; and necessary infrastructure. The intention is, therefore, to: 

Improve the well-being of Malaysia's citizens
Everyone, including vulnerable and minority groups, will benefit from a higher standard of living. Basic digital skills will empower citizens to seize opportunities presented by technology and digitisation. Digital services will be affordable, secure and accessible to all, regardless of skill and economic means. Local digital content will be encouraged.

Transform the way businesses operate - encouraging e-business 
Digital Malta will increase competitiveness and boost the attractiveness of local industry. It will promote more start-ups, attract foreign investment, enable strategic alliances, encourage angel investment and nurture niche service providers. Business will be encouraged and supported to exploit: (i) the opportunities of the European Digital Single Market, (ii) Malta’s strategic location in the Mediterranean, with ready access to the European and North African markets, (iii) Government’s strategic alliances with foreign ICT organisations, and (iv) opportunities to expand into new or bigger markets.

Enhance the delivery of government services throughout 
Better application of digitisation will result in reduced bureaucracy, increased efficiency and transparency. The public service will be closer to civil society and enterprises, improving the government’s decision-making processes. Open Government and e-Democracy will be facilitated. Online government services will be more accessible through the use of smart devices and mobile-friendly applications as well as websites and social media. The government’s technological capabilities will be widened to include opensource, cloud computing and Big Data concepts. Information sharing across government systems and services will be promoted, as will be re-use of public sector information by third parties.

These vertical strategic pillars need to be supported by a suite of enabling / driving forces:
Regulation & Legislation - Of central importance will be government’s direction and priorities at a Strategic and Digital Policy level. Regulation and legislation will ensure an empowered digital society is realised. Good ICT governance will be promoted, with judicious use of resources and participation by all stakeholders. International best practices will be adopted. 

Infrastructure - Infrastructure services need to be accessible, reliable, secure, affordable and resilient. They shall provide for disaster recovery where appropriate. Investment by the private sector will ensure fast broadband, wifi, next-generation access and robust government information systems architecture. 

Human Capital - It is important to invest in people to ensure the supply of e-Skills to meet the future needs of different sectors. Action will be taken to develop a high quality specialised skills base, maximising employment opportunities, with an emphasis on increasing female participation and tackling inequalities. 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Citizens will be supported to:
i. Adopt digital technologies to help with their work and improve their quality of life. 
ii. Create value content that can be accessed through digital means. 
iii. Collaborate with others to make the internet a safer place for everyone. 
iv. Re-use public sector information while respecting privacy legislation, national security and the need to protect intellectual property rights of third parties. 
v. Be innovative in applying digital technology.

ENHANCING DIGITAL LITERACY AND SOCIAL EQUALITY
1. Basic level of ICT competence
An education and awareness programme will be launched to boost ICT competences, media literacy and confident, critical and safe use of the internet. The programme will be implemented at community level. Vulnerable groups will be a major focus.
2. Empowering the young through a safer internet
Digital Citizenship will become part of the National Education Curriculum, to equip children and youths with the abilities to interact and use the internet safely and intelligently. Parents and carers will be involved together with educators and youth workers. This action will stimulate the production of creative online content, empower the younger generation and help create a safer environment. With the support of competent authorities this measure will help combat cyber child abuse and exploitation.
3. Empowering vulnerable/minority groups and the elderly
Initiate an ongoing programme designed to assist every citizen, in particular the ageing and the vulnerable to harness the potential of ICT. Appropriately equipped ICT access and training centers will be set up within local communities to support the programme.
4. Accessibility and Assistive Technology
Internet accessibility standards will be promoted to enable everyone, irrespective of disability, to navigate and access content to access and use of assistive technologies will be promoted and facilitated to help independent living of the elderly and vulnerable groups. This will also stimulate market demand for diverse, affordable technologies. 
5. NGA Networks
There will be promotion of NGA networks by demonstrating their potential applications and by supporting their introduction in homes, offices and public buildings.
6. Free access to wireless internet
There will be free access to wireless internet in public buildings, main squares and many public spaces around the islands.
7. Portable devices for children
Portable devices will be provided for children, their teachers and LSAs as part of the government’s vision of transforming formal education through the use of digital technologies.
8. Citizen Engagement
Contact with citizens and between citizens will be promoted, especially through the use of mobile apps and social networking websites.  Guidelines on social media strategies for local government and NGOs will be developed, encouraging them to act as intermediaries in a more participative civil society. 
9. Promote innovative ICT applications
Innovative ICT applications that lead to a better lifestyle will be promoted in a joint partnership with the private sector.  The initiative will focus on developments that enhance daily activities such as shopping, banking, commuting and entertainment.
10. Developing online content
A programme will be established to support and stimulate the development of high quality online content that is appealing, educational and culturally distinctive. The government will support joint collaborations between public and private media providers to produce, stream or make available local digital content. 
11. Maltese language tools
The government will facilitate the development and distribution of language tools to support the use of Maltese as a medium for teaching and learning, and therefore widening take-up of ICT in the Maltese language.
12. ICT initiatives for sectors facing stiff competition 
The government, working with industry, will organise a series of initiatives for sectors facing stiff competition (e.g. manufacturing, construction and retail) to help them benefit from ICT. 
13. Forum for the transformation of industries through ICT 
A forum will be established, comprising executives from leading local firms and industry representative bodies. The forum’s mandate will be to develop programmes to raise awareness about how ICT can help industries transform themselves and become more profitable. The Forum will discuss issues such as internationalisation, e-commerce, the use of social networking as a business tool, the benefits of NGA networks, self-regulation, compliance with web accessibility guidelines, and supply chain management.
14. ICT capability framework for SMEs and co-operatives
A framework will be developed to enable local SMEs and co-operatives to assess their ICT capability, human capital and ICT-enabled processes and technology. This will be supported by ‘benchmarking’ and roadmaps to enable these organisations to improve performance and derive increased ICT business value from their human, technical and operational assets.
15. ICT training programmes
The government will support enterprises by administering ICT training programmes for their employees. The programmes will focus on unskilled and semi-skilled workers with the objective of improving their productivity, employability and mobility. They will also promote understanding of new business models enabled through technology. In parallel, ICT up-skilling and re-skilling programmes will be re-introduced.  
16. Supporting entrepreneurship
Collaborating with stakeholders, government will:
  - Invest resources to cultivate a widespread entrepreneurial mind-set, allowing for the launch of more ICT start-ups and young high-growth ventures exploiting ICTs. Special emphasis will be devoted to Gozobased entrepreneurial initiatives in view of the island’s difficulties in developing a mature ICT industry.
  - Facilitate improved ‘access to capital’ programmes for start-ups, micro and small firms. This includes the setting up of a business angels network, incentives for crowd-funding and other investor schemes.
  - Provide firms with incentives to deploy advanced ICT services in unprofitable areas. These could be interest-free credit, subsidies or preferential tax rates.
17. Attracting FDI in ICT
Measures will be taken to attract foreign ICT companies with the objective of transforming Malta into a regional hub for technological cooperation and trade. These will include:
   - Corporate packages, structures and business models that target FDI in ICT ventures, start-ups, ICT educational collaborations and niche markets such as digital games, mobile apps and other creative content.
   - Actively supporting SmartCity Malta and others involved in incubation or innovation activities.  
18. Cloud Computing: The government in partnership with industry will develop a strategy on ‘Cloud Computing’ aimed at establishing Malta as a world-class hub for the provision of cloud computing services, boosting innovation and productivity across the digital economy.
19. Digital Gaming Execute: a Digital Games strategy in an attempt to strengthen what Malta offers operators in the sector, including improving the specialist skills base.
20. Widening horizons: The government, working with industry bodies, will develop policies and incentives to:
   - Enable ICT clusters to flourish. Technology development, innovation and internationalisation should be the main focus of clustering activity. Support may include seed funding, market intelligence services, and internationalisation services.
   - Exploit Malta’s e-government expertise to develop training and consultancy services for other countries, especially those with cultural or traditional links in the Mediterranean or the Commonwealth.
   - Promote the concept of ‘Born Global’ products and services.
21. ICT-focused incentive schemes
Incentive schemes and voucher-based credit lines will be developed to enable local SMEs and co-operatives to benefit from free or subsidised consultancy services. This will help them adopt digital technology and innovative business models to both establish themselves online and internationalise their products and services. 
22. e-commerce markets
Government and industry stakeholders will:
   - Develop measures to sustain and grow the local e-commerce market on both the supply and demand sides.
   - Implement initiatives to assist and further drive the adoption of e-commerce by business sectors with the potential to capitalise on web technologies and penetrate foreign markets.
Identify opportunities for Malta to attract business activities that operate or support global e-commerce markets.
23. Emerging electronic transactions
   - Government, working with payment providers, will develop an education programme to explain and promote different forms of electronic transactions and emerging monetisation models. The programme will explain business models, technologies, costs and risks.
24. Harnessing international R&I funding 
Local ICT companies need to take advantage of pan-European and international R&I funding frameworks and industrial development funding opportunities. To help in this, government will:
    - Provide logistical and brokerage support.
    - Offer incentives to companies to invest time and human resources researching and developing innovative products, processes, and services and new marketing methods.
25. Open innovation: Government will set up a multi-stakeholder Innovation Centre to offer incentives for ICT-themed R&D, idea-generation, incubation and innovation with a view towards co-creation and open innovation. Its purpose will be to:
    - Create an environment to enable open collaboration by enterprises, academic institutions and public bodies wishing to engage in R&I activities, particularly projects requiring testing and validation in reallife settings.
    - Attract multi-national enterprises, contributing different technological platforms and expertise.
    - Provide mentorship, specialised training and an alternative ICT incubation facility for young entrepreneurs, students and startups wishing to test and demonstrate their innovations in a live environment.
    - Serve as a networking hub and show-case locally developed talent and products.
26. Transacting with government
Citizens and organisations will be able to transact securely with government using different channels. The take-up of online services will be encouraged by making them easy to use and available on mobile devices. These services will include online forms, e-payments and e-invoicing.  
27. One-stop shop: Citizens and businesses will benefit from a one-stop shop concept. They will be able to access services from their home or office, or through agents.  
Practices such as ‘one face to government’, ‘one-login’, ‘service-personalisation’ and ‘ask-only-once’ will be the driving force.
28. Collaborative digital environment
Government will work with stakeholders to:
   - Assist departments and entities to adopt technology that integrates cross-departmental services.
   - Facilitate the use, management, retention, preservation and archiving of born-digital records so that these remain accessible and usable.
   - Protect corporate knowledge, and improve data security, integrity, accessibility, traceability and archiving. Industry standards for records and information management and business classification scheme will be adopted.
   - Strengthen knowledge sharing. 
   - Enable workflows.
   - Provide collaborative environments for unified working across multiple devices and media types. 
29. Business Analytics: Public officials will be equipped with the right tools to analyse government data. This will support decision-making and help identify gaps and opportunities.
30. ICT Innovation in procurement
Government will use its position as a major procurer to stimulate demand for innovative ICT. It will encourage collaboration between local players and, as an early adopter, it will act as a showcase for locally-produced technology.  
Innovative policies will improve procurement cycles and deliver better value. The e-procurement framework will be extended to cover e-ordering, e-invoicing and e-payments.
31. Strategic Alliances: The government will continue to explore opportunities for cooperation, alliances and partnerships with reputable multinationals so as to maximise the return on investments and adopt international best practices. 
32. Open Government Data 
In addition to facilitating the sharing of data across the public administration, the government will make public sector information available to all as allowed by law. Structured data will be published in a way that it can be interlinked (Linked Open Government Data) and become more useful to government entities, third parties and respective systems.  
The adoption of Big Data technologies will allow complex data to be processed, improving decision-making in critical areas such as finance, healthcare, transport, utilities and the environment.
33. eDemocracy Government is committed to using ICT to encourage citizens to take part in democratic decision-making. Initiatives will be implemented to enhance the visibility, transparency and accountability of government. 
34. Sector specific ICT programmes
Sector specific ICT programmes or strategies will be developed by collaborating with all stakeholders. There will be a philosophy of cutting across ministerial boundaries. The ultimate aim will be to secure consistency, buy-in, effectiveness in implementation and value to citizens and businesses as the ultimate beneficiaries. 
35. e-Learning: A complete ICT infrastructure will be provided for educators, students and parents, encouraging a digital mindset and widening learning opportunities. Educators will be supported to make full use of e-Learning platforms and other digital learning technologies.  
36. e-Health: Citizens will be empowered by providing them with secure and easy access to their health records. Similarly, healthcare providers will gain secure and seamless access to the patients’ records.
37. Transportation: Government will use digital technology in land, sea and air transport. Special emphasis will be given to the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems for improving road safety, traffic flow and in-country travel.
38. Digital Single Market
Malta will seek to maximise the benefits and opportunities deriving from legislation adopted within the EU. As at 2014, these include:
    - The Data Protection Framework.
    - The Electronic Identification and Trust Services Regulation.
    - The Information Society Directive.
    - Regulation concerning the European single market for electronic communications and achieving a Connected Continent.
39. Radio spectrum for mobile data communications
The regulatory framework will ensure sufficient radio spectrum for mobile data communication while safeguarding the availability of spectrum for public security.
40. Digital legislation and contracts
Government will work with stakeholders to:
    - Have a process whereby new laws, once enacted, are digital by default.
    - Evaluate existing laws to align them with the Digital Malta vision.
    - Enable contracts, which are subject to the formalities of the Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act, to be in digital format from the outset. 
41. Infrastructure based competition
The legal and regulatory framework shall support investment in new broadband networks and stimulate infrastructure-based competition.
43. Cyber Crime Legislation
Government will review existing legislation to ensure relevance and effectiveness in the cyber world, for example in dealing with cyber bullying. 
44. Digital legislation and regulation
Government will provide measures to maintain privacy, safety and security while surfing, transacting and operating online. Legislation will address several matters:
    - Safeguarding intellectual property rights.
    - Patents.
    - Sensitive and personal information.
    - Cloud Computing and data ownership.
    - Contentious content.
    - Net Neutrality.
    - Vendor Lock-in and Exit Management strategies.
    - Online contracts and license agreements.
45. Supporting NGA Networks 
The MCA regulatory regime will foster innovation and investment to support the development of NGA Networks in Malta. It will have the objectives of ensuring competition and affordable access to these networks.
46. Broadband Supply and Demand
The MCA will monitor supply and demand of broadband, anticipating change, supporting development and facilitating the deployment and development of NGA Networks in Malta.
47. IPv6 Government will promote deployment of the IPv6 protocol, for identifying and locating computers on networks and traffic routes across the internet. This acknowledges the need to prepare for an ‘Internet of Everything,’ where all objects connected to the web must be uniquely identified.
  

Policy/Regulation Mirrors

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