State moves toward business Web portal

The state government last week began seeking proposals from potential developers of a $4.5 million portal that ultimately will allow companies to do most of their business with state and local governments through a single Web site.

The Nevada State Purchasing Division will gather proposals until April 13, and state officials hope the first phase of the project is available to the public in March 2011.

Ross Miller, Nevada's secretary of state and a leading proponent of the portal, said it will improve the efficiency of state agencies and help them capture all the taxes and fees that are due from businesses.

And he said it make life easier for businesses as well.

"The process to set up a business is currently not well-defined, and it's cumbersome," Miller said.

The portal initially will allow one-stop completion of Secretary of State and Nevada Department of Taxation paperwork. Ultimately, Miller said proponents hope to include other state agencies as well as local governments in the portal. It would be the first of its type in the nation.

Officials expect the site will get more than 500,000 hits a month with traffic growing by 30 percent a year.