Zombie websites reflect officials' dated outlook

The website of a Chinese county-level government. [Photo/IC]

According to a statement issued by the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Tuesday, more than 16,000 government websites in China have been shut down since the end of November because of the poor services they offered. The first enumeration of government websites found that among the more than 84,000 sponsored by governments at all levels, about 66,000 were updated on a regular basis. Guangzhou Daily lauds the survey and hopes it will prompt more local officials to improve their e-governance:

That at least 66,000 government websites are operating on a regular basis shows that an e-governance network has basically taken shape across the country. But there is still a mountain to climb with regard the nationwide promotion of e-governance, with citizens placing higher hopes on governments' use of power and the services they provide thanks to the rapid development of digital technologies.

Some local officials remain reluctant to embrace digital reform, fueling public complaints about "zombie" government applications and websites that are rarely updated. This, to some extent, indicates that the managerial skills and mentality of many local governments have lagged behind public needs.

The latest government website evaluation could boost the reform of public governance, which is not only about the use of technology, but also the government's willingness to disclose necessary information and better serve residents.

Of course, it takes more than financial support and sheer manpower to press ahead with administrative transformation. But inefficient e-governance needs correcting as it is a result of the incompatibility between old and new management approaches.

Internet-based governance features the disclosure of government affairs, information sharing, online interaction, and better services, which some local governments still find very difficult to achieve. Hopefully the website survey will help promote "Internet Plus" governance and upgrade government services.