Mary Mitchell, the General Services Administration official who oversees the government's online activities, said it is too early to identify all the benefits from federal e-commerce. But officials have already noticed an average 30 percent increase in participation in government auctions, she said. Shoppers not only will find some bargains, but they also interact with some obscure government offices if they shop the Web. For instance, the Minerals Management Service, which manages the nation's oil, natural gas and mineral resources, has used the Web to advertise oil-drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico. The American Battle Monuments Commission, which controls the design and maintenance of military monuments on foreign soil, lets consumers use the Internet to pay to place flowers at a military grave overseas.
Property is for sale online.
GSA's site offered a lightkeeper's house in Sault Ste. The Pew survey identified at least 164 government Web sites that sell products and services directly to the public. Amtrak, the U.S. Mint and the Postal Service offer full-service sites. Congress may act to change that. The government's sales in 2000 dwarfed those of the most popular Web sites.