ization, there are growing needs for lifelong education, which is an independent learning activity conducted throughout one’s life.

A remote learning system using information and communications (e-learning) is a system that allows people to study through the educational programs of a variety of Japanese and overseas educational institutions at home at anytime.

In an intention survey of Internet users on e-learning using the Internet, 18.2% of respondents indicated an intention to use such a system. According to this result, the number of potential Japanese users of e-learning via the Internet is estimated to be 6.84 million. E-learning via the Internet is expected to provide diverse learning opportunities and contribute to increasing the population engaged in lifelong education.

### 5. Promotion of e-Government and e-Local Governments

(1) Digitization status of procedures between citizens/companies and the government

E-government and e-local governments will enable all citizens and companies to enjoy administrative services without being restricted by time or location and will realize pleasant and convenient national life and business activities. Coupled with reform of the operations and simplification/rationalization of the procedures, they will also contribute to simplifying as well as enhancing efficiency and transparency of administrative management. Up to now, the government has been making efforts to digitize administrative procedures and improve access to administrative information.

With regard to digitization of administrative procedures, all ministries and agencies have completed installation of the necessary systems including certification systems and general-purpose reception systems by the end of fiscal 2002. Among the procedures of national administrative organizations, 7,335 procedures (implementation rate: 54%) are scheduled to be digitized by the end of fiscal 2002 and 13,299 procedures (implementation rate: 98%) are scheduled to be digitized by the end of fiscal 2003 (Figure 1-35).

## (2) Introduction of IT within administrative organs

The government has been developing its information and communications infrastructure, such as installation of LANs and PCs within ministries and establishment of

Figure 1-35: Number of Online Applications, Notifications, and Other Procedures Made Available by National Administrative Organizations (cumulative total)

Source: Based on “Action Plan 2002.”

Figure 1-36: Transitions in the Installation of LANs in National Administrative Organizations

Category	FY 2001	FY 2002
Internal divisions	Facilities, etc.	Special organizations	Local branch offices	Total	Internal divisions	Facilities, etc.	Special organizations	Local branch offices	Total
Organizations subject to LANs installation	320	904	394	3,412	5,030	335	969	404	3,489	5,197
Organizations with LANs	320	865	215	1,702	3,102	335	965	273	2,047	3,620
Installation rate (%)	100.0	95.7	54.6	49.9	61.7	100.0	99.6	67.6	58.7	69.7
Organizations connected with the LAN of the main ministries/agencies	173	133	1,327	1,633	201	181	1,640	2,022
Connection rate (%)	20.0	61.9	78.0	58.7	20.8	66.3	80.1	61.6

$ ^{*} $ 1 The “organizations subject to LAN installation” are those among the surveyed organizations for which LAN installation has been planned by ministries and agencies.

$ ^{*} $ 2 The percentages for “installation rate” and “connection rate” are rounded off to the first decimal place.

*3 The “total” of the “connection rate (%)” shows the proportion to the total number of organizations with LANs excluding “internal divisions” (FY 2001: 2,782 organizations; FY 2002: 3,285 organizations).