Yesterday the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MTIT) and Paltel signed a strategic financial memorandum of understanding in order to build an e-government network.  This came during a press conference held by both parties at Salim Effendi, with the participation of the Minister of MTIT, Dr. Mashoor Abu Daqqa and the CEO of the Paltel Group, Mr. Ammar Aker.  In attendance was also the Government Auditor, Mr. Youssef Al Zamer; General Manager of Paltel, Mr. Muhannad Alhejawi and; Mr. Suleiman Zuhairi, the Deputy of the Ministry of Communications along with a number of additional managers from MTIT and Paltel.
The Memorandum of Understanding outlines the agreement of the parties to organize the process of building the e-government network for effective data transfer and secured links for governmental institutions throughout the country.  This will form the core focus in developing the electronic government system which aims to ensure that the agreement will bind all the ministries and central institutions to each other.  Such a system will reach all branches via fiber optic cables, in addition to the IP VPN network based on MPLS technology in order to provide the best and safest international standards for the establishment of such a network.
The signing ceremony was viewed by those present as a historic day in the telecommunications sector in terms of establishing an e-government network in Palestine.  Such a system will resolve the problem of electronic communication between the ministries and governmental institutions where the next steps forward will be the interconnection between institutions and ministries in order to connect to software, computers and further provide better services to its citizens.  This process will have many advantages in terms of increasing the level of performance for employees and linking and facilitating transparent transactions in increasing government efficiency.  Such a network will also have a mechanism to protect and preserve the system software in the event of random raids carried out by the Israeli authorities at both government headquarters and ministries.  Such protection of information will also be given high priority to ensure the protection of personal information for private citizens and the state.    
In addition to establishing the government network, there will also be the creation of several academic networks associated with e-learning which will link schools to such a service where ongoing negotiations are currently taking place with Paltel to reduce the price and raise the quality provided by the suppliers.  The e-government services at schools will also require the participation of the private sector.
The parties that have signed this joint MOU were able to build more than 90% of the electronic government network, where genuine partnership between the government and private sector is important for this program to work in all phases.  With the partnership, an e-government integrated plan will emerge which will lead to the eventual facilitation of government work, increase efficiency and facilitate services provided by the government for its citizens.  Prior to the end of the year, the bulk of construction for the e-government will have been developed which will cover a large number of main ministries.
The CEO of Paltel Group, Mr. Ammar Aker stated, “The commitment of Paltel in joint cooperation with the Authority is evidence of the success of the telecommunications sector and its ability to support and promote its services while keeping abreast of its developments and future needs.”  Mr. Aker also stressed that this agreement will provide the governmental sector the ability to closely cooperate and communicate with all organizations of the government sectors and other institutions, as well as communicate globally via the latest telecommunication technologies.
This agreement is the first of its kind in terms of an achievement in the vision of electronic government, a reality to place Palestine in the ranks with other countries in this advanced field which will facilitate the services for all Palestinian citizens in all areas of life.  Such an opportunity will provide the basic infrastructure for an e-Government network in order to establish the foundations of a Palestinian state.  In regards to internet speed, Paltel has reached an agreement with the MTIT which ensures fair use with the aim to provide the internet at a reasonable speed for subscribers.  In regards to protection, Paltel announced that the fiber optic owned by Paltel is fully protected and is known for its network protection system.