Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today, awarded prizes for on-line excellence to the following outstanding government offices and officials: Israel Securities Authority  Chairman Moshe Tery, Finance Ministry Director-General Dr. Yossi Bachar, Israel Tax Authority Director-General Jacky Matza , Industry, Trade and Employment Ministry Director-General Ra'anan Danur and Justice Ministry Director-General Aharon Abramovitz.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert said: "In order to provide on-line service, every ministry in my government, every authority and every institution that provides services to the public, will be required to allow access to the information at its disposal, to open the services that it provides and to make them on-line and accessible to the public."  He said that it was important to see to it that the Government is supportive and helpful to the public and is not seen as a bureaucratic body that heaps obstacles on citizens seeking services.  "Today, technology allows us to provide the public with an appropriate level of services via on-line technology without burdening the public coffers."

See http://tinyurl.com/jgnnn for details regarding the criteria according to which prize recipients were selected.