Whitepaper
When it comes to government services, the citizens, residents, and businesses of a country want fast, intuitive, proactive services. Digitalization has created the perfect environment for that vision – as countries that have already developed versions of a government ‘super app’ have discovered.
The aim of a modern government is to create an environment that allows all its citizens, residents, and businesses to fulfill their own goals and dreams.
In an ideal world, the best government service would be no (obvious) service. This is the future of proactive services – a world where, ideally, services are delivered so unobtrusively that the process is almost invisible. Digitalization has brought that vision within reach.
The essential foundation of this vision is a platform that connects the information system and data of every government department, allowing citizens, businesses, visitors, and others to communicate efficiently with the state.
For citizens and residents, this means they can access what they need and find answers to questions through a single digital environment. For businesses and investors, it means a seamless and efficient business environment. And for governments, it means greater efficiency and productivity and a flexible system that’s fit for the future.
While businesses have been at the forefront of the drive to harness the potential of e-services, a small number of countries worldwide are leading the way in digital government. In Malta and Portugal, for example, around 98% of government services are available online. In 2020, the E-Government Development Index ranked the 193 United Nations Member States in terms of digital government. Denmark, the Republic of Korea, and Estonia ranked as the most developed.
The rapid shift from desktop-based internet access to mobile services is taking e-government to the next level. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2023, Estonia unveiled a new smartphone app, mRiik, which will allow its citizens to access government services and hold digital versions of their ID card, passport, and other key documents.
Estonia, a country widely regarded as a truly digital society, made yet another innovative leap at the end of 2019 by launching proactive family and parental benefits, moving toward a new proactive governance model.
A unified digital access point that provides seamless, proactive services creates value for a wide range of stakeholders. Let’s look more closely at the potential benefits for each user group. Click the arrows below to explore.