Australian tech leaders demand reform of government ICT spending

Federal government departments are spending billions of dollars on new technologies, but a lack of planning and transparency is hampering innovation and economic growth, according to Australia's peak technology industry body.

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has called on the government to develop a long-term ICT strategy and establish a central agency to oversee government spending on technology.

The AIIA's submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the government's ICT procurement practices found that departments were often making decisions about technology purchases without a clear understanding of their business needs.

This was leading to a lack of coordination and duplication of effort, the submission said.

"There is a lack of strategic planning and coordination of ICT spending across government," the submission said.

"This is resulting in a lack of innovation and economic growth."

The AIIA wants the government to develop a long-term ICT strategy that would set out the government's priorities for technology investment.

The strategy should be developed in consultation with industry and academia, the submission said.

The AIIA also wants the government to establish a central agency to oversee government spending on technology.

The agency would be responsible for developing procurement guidelines, providing advice to departments and monitoring the performance of government ICT projects.

"The establishment of a central agency would help to improve coordination and transparency in government ICT spending," the submission said.

"This would lead to better decision-making and more effective use of taxpayers' money."