Australian Report On Progress Towards the Paperless Trading GoalsIn APEC¡¦s Blueprint for Action on Electronic Commerce

Executive Summary
• Australia is actively pursuing the paperless trading goals set out in the APEC Blueprint for Action on E-Commerce through legal reforms, policy coordination measures and a number of practical actions to facilitate electronic systems within specific business sectors.
• Australia has established the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) as the leading government agency on information economy issues. The Office of Government Online (OGO) is responsible for overseeing the provision of all appropriate government services online.
• Australia¡¦s priorities are clearly manifest in the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 which was designed to ensure technology neutrality (i.e. no form of technology or IT business approach should be favoured over another) and media neutrality (i.e paper-based commerce and e-commerce should be treated equally by the law). Australia is aiming for a regulatory environment which encourages innovation...