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Bringing citizens closer to government: Is there a role for m-governance in Pakistan? Introduction Recent figures indicate that mobile phone penetration rates stand at almost 45 per cent in low-income countries and 76 per cent in lower-middle-income countries (ITU, 2011; UNDP, 2012). ‘No other technology has been in the hands of so many people in so many countries in such a short period of time’ (World Bank, 2008). In fact, globally, ‘more people now have more access to a mobile device than to justice or legal services’ (UNDP, 2012). Harnessing these changes, m-government enables costeffective, timely delivery of information necessary for citizens to make informed, educated decisions – an important but often difficult responsibility for any government to discharge. M-governance is seen as a way of promoting democracy, accountability and transparency (Ghyasi and Kushchu, 2004), particularly in developing countries, not only through improvements in government to citizen (G2C) and citizen to government (C2G) communication, and efficiency gains among government agencies, but also through civil society use. This article explores this potential with regard to Pakistan, where citizen–government communication is often shaped by deprivation and a lack of access to information and basic public services. Benefits of m-governance Mobile phones can reach remote areas where the infrastructure essential for internet or wired phone services is difficult to set up. Also relevant to such areas, mobile phones are usually inexpensive and fairly easy to use, much more so than computers and internet connections. Since operating mobile phones requires only basic literacy, barriers to entry are much lower than with other modern ICTs. The mobile platform has the capability to provide locationspecific information, for instance with regard to emergency services, locating a nearby bank or ATM and accessing information regarding traffic and weather conditions in a locality (Vijayakumar, Sabarish and Krishnan, 2010). Therefore, mobile technologies are starting to have an ineffaceable impact on human development, improving democratic governance and other development areas such as health, education, agriculture, employment, crisis prevention and the environment (UNDP, 2012). Studies have suggested that increased mobile ownership is linked to higher economic growth (Vodafone, 2005; Vodafone and ICRIER, 2009). Also, its effect on economic growth is likely to be twice as large in developing countries as in developed ones because the starting point of infrastructure in poorer countries is so much lower in terms of the number of fixed lines and broadband access. It is possible for low-income countries to surpass the traditional infrastructure requirements, such as fixed lines, as mobile technologies have lower investment costs. Other benefits include increased telecom-based tax revenues, improved employment opportunities and overall increased productivity, with the addition of a flourishing telecommunications industry that attracts foreign direct investment (UNDP, 2012). Police can use mobile phones to capture pictures and videos of crimes as they witness them, which can then make it easier for them to process the case and make informed decisions. A successful example of mobile usage in this particular way is that of Kerala, India, where an exclusive Box 1: What is m-governance? Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 87 Omer Awan E-government refers to conventional government services made available to citizens through electronic means such as telephone, digital television, and internet connected computers and other devices (Ghyasi and Kushchu, 2004). A complement to e-government rather than its replacement (Ghyasi and Kushchu, 2004), mgovernance (mobile governance) concerns strategy and processes for delivering public services through wireless and mobile technologies, applications and devices to various users, which can potentially include all residents, government units and businesses (MCIT, 2011). In this respect, there are clearly overlaps with egovernment. However, if ‘governance’ encompasses traditions and institutions by which authority is exercised, and the resultant communication with and between citizens (Kaufmann, Kraay and Zoido-Lobatón, 1999), then m-governance is about more than service delivery: it becomes a part of civic and public life.


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