“Our goal is that by the end of the second four-year period, more than 90% of the approximately 5,000 state services have gone digital and joined gov.gr” points out the Minister of State and Digital Governance in his interview in “Vima tis Kyriaki” Kyriakos Pierrakakis. The dilemma of the next elections, he adds, “It’s a question of whether we’re going to keep accelerating into the future or whether we’re going to go back to rearguard action.”
How far can the digital transformation of the state go? What do you consider to be the most important steps that have been taken so far?
“The goal is clear: to digitize, with few exceptions, all interactions between citizens and companies with the state. And this planning had already been described in 2019 as a two-term plan. Already in these four years we have done a lot in this direction .gov.gr and the interconnection of state records is not just a digitization action, but a comprehensive program to simplify the interactions of citizens with the state gov.gr is the new face of the state, it is a modern state and friendly with citizens. The first writing samples are here. The declaration of birth required attendance at a series of services that could be located in all corners of the country. Now it is done with a single statement, inside the maternity ward Starting a sole proprietorship used to require waiting in five lines. Now it’s done through gov.gr with just a few clicks.”
On a scale of 1 to 10, where are we? Are we far from citizens dealing with the Government only through the computer or mobile?
“From 2019 to today, of 501 digital services we have exceeded 1,540, giving priority to the most frequent visits to the windows. This tripling translated into a hundred times more digital transactions with the Government – from 8.8 million in 2018 last year we reached 772 million, while together with financial transactions we reached 1,200 million digital transactions. This number are actually “queues” in which citizens have not had to wait. So right now we have 1,543 digital services. “How many?” is the reasonable question. No country knows this. Through “Myth”, the National Register of Administrative Procedures, Greece will soon find out. We currently have a total of more than 5,000 engravings. Well, we have an order of magnitude of the challenge ahead of us. And now we have the knowledge and, thanks to the Recovery Fund, the funds to respond on another four-year horizon. The goal is that by the end of the second four-year period, more than 90% of state services will have been digitized and integrated into gov.gr”.
As for closing the “digital divide” that mainly affects older people, what should be done?
“Regarding the ‘digital divide’, the tripartite on which we operate is: digital platforms that are as simple as possible, programs to acquire and develop digital skills and ‘channels’ of alternative services. gov.gr has been designed in a very simple and friendly way. This is demonstrated by the fact that more than 8,100,000 citizens (ie most of the country’s population) have been served digitally at least once and we make sure to constantly improve the digital environment. At the same time, we have launched digital skills programs in Friendship Clubs in the municipalities and from my experience in Athens, I can tell you that we are seeing excellent results. And finally, we are constantly updating the KEPs, so that they can be the only physical “contact point” between the citizen and the state, and at the same time we are implementing the single call center of the State, from which everyone can be attended. by phone.”
He is a candidate for the parliamentary elections for the first time. What do you see as what is at stake in the May 21 elections?
“The dilemma of choice is whether we will continue to move into the future or return to rearguard battles. Essentially, the question is whether we want a modern, strong and extroverted Greece or a country at the end of evolution. And in this context, the New Democracy of Kyriakos Mitsotakis calls for the vote of the citizens to fight the battles of our generation, to fight the battles of the future and not remain in those of the past.We believe that the country must move forward, definitively closing the debts with the past and responding to contemporary international challenges. And that requires a government that has the knowledge, the plan, the will and the parliamentary majority to lead the country into the future.”
What messages do you receive from the citizens you meet on your tours in Athens?
“What I perceive is that the citizens recognize the progress that the country registered in the first four years of Kyriakos Mitsotakis and they know the criticality of the next elections. From 2019 to today, we have consolidated our credibility through the implementation of our pre-election program and the clear responses we gave to the challenges that arose. And I believe that this is the guarantee that will make the citizens trust us again, highlighting New Democracy as an independent government and Kyriakos Mitsotakis as a strong prime minister.”
And one last question…Artificial Intelligence: “Blessing” or “Curse”? How do you see the public debate that has been developing lately?
“Technological advances in themselves are neither a “blessing” nor a “curse”. Their footprint depends on the context we establish and the way in which we use them. Already in this four-year period, we established a first legislative framework, with a very wide indeed, and through a particularly productive discussion with the opposition parties.At the same time, Greece participates in the dialogue taking place at the level of the European Union, promoting our own human-centred values and advancing in the direction that technology can improve the lives of citizens. After all, history has shown that this is what industrial revolutions achieve, and Artificial Intelligence is part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”