“The more friendly and open the communication between government officials and the public and business community, the easier and faster the country will develop...”
“Have you noticed how young people communicate? They don’t make calls. They message each other—chats, SMS, social media, email...”
We are rapidly expanding our digitalization efforts at the national level. Naturally, one reason for this is the rapid advancement of technology, while another is the market demand for prompt, high-quality communication.
A number of portals and electronic services have been created and are being further developed; we use them regularly, and they help resolve various issues promptly.
There is a trend toward centralization within state and local government bodies. It is important not to lose sight of the objective here: centralization makes sense only if the entire system is also managed centrally. Otherwise, competition is artificially stifled, and there is no longer any scope for developing new services.
New products, new ideas. This is the new generation—currently in school, but soon to become full-fledged members of society. They will become clients of public administration and residents who use these services.
Have you noticed how young people communicate? They don’t make calls. They message—chats, SMS, social media, email.
In our view, interacting with government agencies and local authorities needs to be much simpler, faster, and more accessible for residents and entrepreneurs. We will only feel motivated to actively share our thoughts and opinions if we are confident that we won’t have to travel in person to submit a stack of documents just to get a single stamp, or wait weeks for a response from a government agency.
Why not conduct a quick public poll using a voting system on a given issue before adopting a regulation or law? The vote might well lead to a completely different solution for the specific matter at hand.
The more open and approachable the interaction between government officials, the public, and the business community, the easier and faster the country will develop. Our innovative young people won’t go looking for greener pastures elsewhere; instead, they will stay home and turn their dreams into reality right here!
ANŽELIKA ČIĻIMOVA, CSC Telecom valsts un pašvaldību sektora vadītāja
“Digitalizēti un moderni valsts un pašvaldību komunikāciju procesi” BiSMART 30.04.2019.