Ukraine is now ready to move towards its electronic future with the launch of a government mobile application that provides access to many public services.
Called Diia, the mobile app hit the App Store and Google Play on Feb. 6. Those who install it will now be able to use their driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates from their smartphones.
By the end of this year, the government will also introduce electronic passports via Diia as well as fifty other services, including car insurance and student ID cards. By 2024, the government plans to digitize all public services through Diia.
“For citizens, the government should be just a service – simple, but more notably – comprehensible,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference presenting Diia on Feb. 6.
Zelensky’s government estimates that this will increase the information technology industry’s share of Ukraine’s gross domestic product from 4% to 10%.
The president also said the Diia’s development used no taxpayer funds.
People attend a presentation of the Diia mobile application developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation to provide public services online on Feb. 6, 2020.
Meanwhile, the Digital Transformation Ministry also plans to teach at least six million Ukrainians digital literacy skills over the next three years. It already made the first step, launching free videos at the end of January, where experts and Ukrainian celebrities educate the public on basic internet skills.
“Our overall goal is to make sure that a person can maintain all relations with the state, including voting via smartphones and the internet,” Zelensky said.
