Filenews 29 May 2021 - by Theano Thiopoulou
Digital leaps Cyprus is attempting to make, by digitising 150 new services to citizens, with the aim of implementing the eGovernment strategy.
The Strategic Financial Policy Framework 2022-2024, prepared by the Ministry of Finance, provides for the immediate conversion of as many public procedures as possible into electronic ones, whether they relate to licensing, applications, requests and other forms of service by a public authority, or to payments to and from the State.
According to the Plan "the new national digital strategy is under development, an effort which is expected to be accelerated through the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, from whose overall budget is expected to be channelled into expenditure directly related to digital transformation of up to 23%, with additional and other costs which are expected to contribute indirectly to this effort. To this end, the digitisation of 150 new services to citizens is being promoted immediately, which will have the greatest impact on facilitating the restart of the economy and the trade of citizens and businesses with the state. Of particular importance is the implementation of a series of wide-ranging strategic eGovernment projects in priority areas such as health, justice and education as well as the revision of the government's information infrastructure architecture."
In state-prepared digital designs and recorded in the SPC, it will be important to "improve the country's broadband infrastructure by leveraging wired and state-of-the-art wireless technologies such as Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and 5G mobile telephony, with the aim of extending coverage of ultra-high-speed networks to remote/white areas. Cutting-edge technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence are also a priority, where their exploitation by both the public and private sectors will improve the country's digital transformation."
According to the SPC, there is another step towards more effective digital transformation. "We also need to improve the digital skills of our society. To this end, an Action Plan is being prepared, which includes educational programmes for ICT professionals, professionals in other sectors of the economy, as well as the general population at all levels."
The pandemic crisis, according to the SPC "has transformed digital transformation from outstanding to necessity and its impact has highlighted as even more imperative in the short term the urgent strengthening of the digital economy for the benefit of both the public sector and businesses and citizens. The need to strengthen the adoption of new digital technologies and the development of digital skills in Cyprus is highlighted, inter alia, by the Competitiveness Report, areas which are expected to be substantially supported by the functioning of the State Department responsible for digital policy."
