Initiatives And Achievements

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MITTS LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2000

INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

In the area of applications development, energies have been focused on critical business areas within Government, such as VAT, Inland Revenue and Customs, Health and Social Security, the Common Database, Vehicle Registration Application (VERA) and Local Government. MITTS Ltd is aiming at concentrating its key resources on its strategic business portfolio and contracting out other resourceconsuming projects under its own project management. The Company has been instrumental in the devolution of systems from Government Departments to Local Councils to render government services more accessible to the public. Last year, development was carried out on the Local Councils Field Services System. This will eventually enable the Local Councils Department to estimate the maintenance needs for each public garden and allocate the necessary funds to the respective Local Council. Using the latest web technology, through the Rent Devolution System, Local Councils are now able to collect rent on behalf of the Lands Department. A Customer Care System was also launched at the Trade Fair as a pilot project, where 750 complaints were registered. These were followed up by the Local Councils, which were connected through the MAGNET to the various corporations, allowing for any complaints to be automatically passed on to the relevant entities and providing a more efficient service to the public. Among the initiatives in the field of Local Councils is the Licence Agency System (LAS), which, when fully developed, is specifically designed to cater for the management of licences from each authority and department through Local Councils. On the health front, software applications included the implementation of the Cardiac Investigation and Patient Records. The aim of this system is to create an electronic record of patients admitted in any of the cardiology clinics at the hospital. With regard to the Patient Administration System (PAS), the Implementation of the File Tracking module enables users to track the location of a patient’s medical file electronically, while the Outpatients System Implementation provides users with the facility to book patient appointments and record patient attendance registrations electronically. During 2000, the system was implemented in 60 outpatient clinics, St Luke's Hospital, and at the Health Centres of Qormi, Gzira and Rabat. The Accident and Emergency Specifications for the computerisation of the Accident and Emergency Department, as well as the Patient Billing System Specifications were also completed last year. The latter allows for non-Maltese nationals, making use of government health services, to be billed through the PAS. A Drug Control System, used to automate the distribution of the drug control cards to control drug output, has also been added to the list of implemented systems within the Health Division. As regards revenue collection and, more specifically, Social Security Contributions, MITTS Ltd has developed new software modules for the enforcement by the Inland Revenue Department of Social Security Class 2 Contributions. The Provisional Tax System was also upgraded to incorporate Social Security amounts due by payers for each current year. On behalf of the VAT Department, MITTS Ltd worked at enhancing the VAT core system, implementing no less than six new applications. Two studies, aimed at providing enhanced information to the client, were also carried out. The Law Courts computerisation process continued with the introduction of the new Magistrate Criminal Case Management System. Utilising the latest technology and interfaces with the Common Database and e-mail, the following applications were developed: The Police Report Application; the Magisterial Inquiry Application; the Primary Investigation Application; and the Magistrates Duty Roster Application. Two additional applications were developed as an integral part of the core system to provide facilities to enter and

control verbal transcriptions and to track, control and provide judgements information. Another pilot project was launched at the Gozo Law Courts, involving the development and implementation of a Fines Collection System and the entry of ‘sommarji’ cases. The Department Accounting System (DAS) was implemented in over 40 Departments and Ministries in over 100 sites, allowing, for the first time, all Government Departments and Ministries, located in over 200 sites, to conduct electronic inter-departmental financial transactions and enhanced financial monitoring. Other salient deliverables during the past year included DAS training, to around 50 auditors from the National Audit Office. The DAS version 3.0 was developed and implemented as a first phase of the EU/IMF compliance requirements. The new version consisted of a complete restructuring of the databases and the introduction of new concepts in project reporting, as well as the chart of accounts, which includes a complete change in the set-up of Government Departments, and which caters for over 1,300 live DAS users. The Injury Benefits System, the Unemployment Assistance Payments, the Correspondence System and the Medical Assistance Auto Assessments were last year successfully implemented by MITTS Ltd at the Ministry for Social Policy. Three of the systems automate the capture of benefit application forms and the automatic assessment of the claim, generating rates of payment and calculating the arrears, or over-payments due on the benefits. They also integrate with the existing benefits on the core ‘Sistema ghall-Amministrazzjoni ta' Beneficcji Socjali’ (SABS) to further enhance accuracy of benefit entitlements. Among the initiatives of ITCS Department in 2000, the Information Resource Management Unit (IRMU) on behalf of the Department for Civil Registration continued with the management and implementation of the Common Database initiative - the Government's major information sharing platform. By the end of 2000, 54 Government Departments, with 820 users, were accessing the Common Database. Through the initiative, all systems critical to Government are provided with commonly used data to achieve consistency and improve data quality. Another related activity was the continuing of the implementation of the one-stop-shop concept through the elimination of event certificates from Government Departments. In keeping with Government’s priorities related to accession to the European Union, MITTS Ltd is providing assistance and support to Departments and Ministries that require the intervention of IT to comply with EU directives. Currently, consultancy projects are underway in the Customs Department, and systems development and international connectivity projects in the VAT Department. Furthermore, activities are being undertaken to bring statistics and accounting in line with EU accession

requirements.