Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised IT experts full freedom and assistance in the creation of a digital economy and electronic governance to make Ukraine a digital leader.
The first expert discussion of the concept ‘State in Smartphone,’ attended by representatives of the Electronic State Coalition, which comprises 65 various organizations and IT experts, took place in the presidential administration on June 12, the Ukrainian presidential press service reported on Thursday. The discussion was attended by Zelensky.
“I want fast changes. I believe in your talent and your wish to make Ukraine a digital leader and I guarantee you freedom. We should work together on initiatives, bills and take steps to remove barriers to a digital economy and electronic governance. I assure you that I will personally ‘contact’ those state servants who resist,” Zelensky said.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Fedorov said the transfer of state services online would promote convenience for citizens and reduce corruption.
“Our plan is very ambitious. We plan on transferring 90% of all state services online by 2024, reducing citizens’ and businesses’ interaction with the authorities by two-thirds, and achieving a zero level of corruption in this sphere,” Fedorov said.
This year, Ukrainians “will feel the taste of new generation electronic services, fully automatic and consolidated around citizens,” he said.
“But all these things will only become a reality on condition of the consolidation around a joint plan of action of all experts, talented Ukrainian IT business, and all branches of power and political will at the highest level,” Fedorov said.
During the meeting, representatives of the coalition presented their recommendations to the president and discussed priority digitalization projects. The key proposals addressed the development of instruments of the electronic state and democracy, digital infrastructures, digital identification, cyber security, improvement of state registers, and electronic democracy (electronic sociological polls and even elections). It additionally addressed the importance of creating possibilities for Ukrainian technological startups. All these tasks will be included in a unified plan of action.
The president said such meetings would be regular.
A series of discussions of the concept ‘State in a Smartphone’ involving international donors, businessmen, etc. is scheduled to be held next week. The document will then be published in the form of a plan of specific actions and expected goals.
