Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

State launches
public-access
Web site

'Access Hawaii' will allow
users to pay taxes, renew
licenses, apply for jobs
and research statistics

By Peter Wagner
Star-Bulletin

"Access Hawaii," the state's fledgling Internet Web site, debuted yesterday featuring online records and registration at the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

The service, first of many planned for the user-friendly portal in coming months, could make life easier for residents across the state. A portal site is like a hub, where users can connect to other Web sites.

"People who want to register a business name or trade name used to have to come down to our office to see what names are already registered," said Clyde Sonobe, of DCCA. "Now by going on the Internet it saves them a trip to our office."

Hawaii is among 11 states with Web sites allowing people to pay taxes, renew licenses, apply for jobs or research government statistics. The business and professional community is expected to be a heavy user of the Internet service, available at www.hawaii.gov or www.ehawaiigov.com.

"We're very excited about this project and expect to roll out new applications on a regular basis," Sonobe said.

A current goal is to include county services on the site, he said.

The state last month contracted with the Hawaii Information Consortium, a subsidiary of the National Information Consortium based in Overland Park, Kan.

National Information, which set up Access Hawaii at no cost to the state, plans to tack a small fee to some transactions -- 25 cents to $2 -- on high-volume transactions such as marriage licenses and business registrations.

The company has similar contracts in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, Utah and Virginia.