The Belgian government is pushing for an electronic government, aiming to make all communication with the government digital by 2020. Government modernisation is one of five priorities in the “Digital Belgium” plan, launched by Minister Alexander de Croo on Monday this week. Plans include making government data available as open data, cutting red-tape for companies and giving start-ups a chance at government contracts.
“Government management will be encouraged to carefully follow ICT government contracts and to create efficiencies by further digitising services and processes”, the government writes in its Action Plan. “The government will also utilise new technologies, such as social media and big data, and shall do so with a clear objective: providing better services at lower cost.”
The other four priorities in the Action Plan are:
- Digital economy
- Digital infrastructure
- Digital skills and jobs
- Digital trust and digital security
By 2020, Belgium should be one of the top three in the European Digital Economy and Society Index, the government says. The Action Plan should also result in 1000 new start-ups and 50,000 new jobs.
“Digital technologies are quickly changing our economy and our society”, the government writes. “The digital revolution is responsible for a whole raft of new opportunities and, over the years to come, will be one of the strongest drivers for growth, jobs and well-being.”
Starting next year, eInvoicing will be made mandatory for companies dealing with public administrations in Belgium. The government hopes this will motivate other sectors to also modernise the invoicing processes. The action plan will also reinvigorate the use of electronic signatures, to increase trust in digital transactions.