Mikko Lehto in Kauppalehti: Finland needs a single, easy-to-use citizen application

Finland’s public services are increasingly digital, yet many are fragmented, leaving citizens unaware of available services, where they are, or which the responsible agencies are. Mikko Lehto, VP of Government & Health at Nortal Finland, stresses in his opinion piece in Finnish magazine Kauppalehti, that a single, user-friendly citizen application could streamline access to essential services — ranging from healthcare to housing and education — and better meet the needs of Finland’s aging population and evolving social structure.

 

– Mikko Lehto, VP Government & Health, Nortal Finland

We need to talk about how digital public services can increase productivity for both service providers and citizens. An aging population and healthcare challenges require more service delivery with fewer staff resources.

Lehto explains how the GovTech approach, which prioritizes citizen needs over administrative processes, could address this fragmentation. He emphasizes that the application would provide tailored service recommendations based on life events, such as starting studies or buying a home, bringing coherence and accessibility to public digital services. The app could bridge Finland’s digital divide by making services more accessible to older adults and recent immigrants.

Lehto underscores that achieving this vision will require interdepartmental cooperation, shared digital platforms, and regulatory adjustments. Drawing from Estonia’s success, he asserts that Finland has the technical capacity and security infrastructure to make this happen, provided that transparency and user control over personal data are prioritized.

Read the full opinion piece in Kauppalehti to learn more about Lehto’s vision for a unified citizen app that could increase public sector productivity and meet the future needs of Finnish public administration.