Austria is now accelerating the digitization of the administration. In the future, even more administrative channels should be possible at the click of a mouse. Secretary of State Florian Tursky will show at the trade fair “Smart Country Convention” in which areas our country is doing particularly well in the field of e-government. The number of users in Germany is also steadily growing when it comes to electronic identification and the use of the “Digitales Amt” app.
The pandemic has forced states and public institutions to provide more digital solutions. At the same time, the weaknesses of the system came to light. “It was a stress test with serious consequences, but also an incredible opportunity for the board,” explains State Secretary for Digitization Florian Tursky. The E-Government Monitor reflects the fact that more and more Austrians prefer to fill in and send their forms digitally. It annually examines the situation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and paints an integral picture of the use and acceptance of digital administration services.
This shows that the expansion of citizen-friendly solutions in this country is well received by the population: 72 percent currently use electronic administrative services, followed by Switzerland at 61 percent and Germany at 54 percent. It is all the more striking that in Austria the use of offers in the 16-34 age group is 68 percent lower than in the other age groups (35-54 year-olds: 76 percent, 55+: 71 percent).
“My starting point is: simplify administration through digitization and e-government and make the opportunities of digitization usable for everyone. You have to get the administration where the people are. That is why in 2024 we will also be offering almost all administrative procedures digitally. The e-government monitor confirms that we are on the right track,” said State Secretary for Digitization Florian Tursky in response to the current investigation. The aim is to put all ID cards in a digital wallet. The prelude to this is the digital driving licence, to be handed over on Wednesday.
Half of Austrian e-government users type on their mobile phones
In Austria, 49 percent already use online government services with their mobile phone. In Switzerland it is 46 percent, in Germany 43 percent. This fact could be an indication that the development of end-to-end digital processes and the location-independent use of m-government via mobile phone or tablet should be used as important levers to reach even more people with the electronic offer in the future.
Two-thirds use digital identification
As early as 2021, the majority of Austrians used one of the officially provided methods of electronic identification. This year the number has increased from 52 percent (last year) to 64 percent. The trend clearly shows that the current introduction of “ID Austria” as the successor to the mobile phone signature is well received by the population. Due to the leading development in Europe, the new Austrian online identifier has already won gold this year at the international e-government competition in Berlin.
Growth at the “Digital Office”
The distribution of the “Digitales Amt” app (app version of the e-government portal austria.gv.at) also continues to grow: this year, the share of users with an activated mobile signature increased by six percentage points from 16 to 22 percent, those not using the app with 9 to 10 percent activation. In total, the app is already used by 32 percent of all respondents who use a smartphone.
High satisfaction with tax returns
The electronic processing of income tax returns was identified as a widely used core service of the administration: in Austria 87 percent are satisfied, in Switzerland even 91 percent and in Germany 80 percent. Another core service is the re-registration: here in Austria 88 percent were satisfied with the online offer of the administration, ex aequo in Switzerland and 75 percent in Germany.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
