Digitizing Administration: Time to Untangle the Web - Federal Government Must Take Action, Says Digital Affairs Minister
Federal Minister advocates for severing distractions - Feds urged to take decisive action - Minister Advocates for Action Beyond Limited Scope - Urges Federal Involvement
In an interview with the German Press Agency, Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister of Digital Affairs, Dorothee Schall (SPD), has called on the federal government to unite and simplify digital processes in German administrations and authorities. "We've chattered long enough about what we can do better," Schall asserted, "Now it's time to cut through the red tape."
As the Digital Ministers Conference approaches in Ingelheim next week, Schall urged the federal government to take charge of centralizing online services, such as car registration, to alleviate the burden on both citizens and administrative staff. The pace of digitalization among municipalities varies considerably, making it a patchwork rather than a cohesive movement.
A central, nationwide usable software solution would be a boon, Schall suggested, as there currently exist no interfaces in social administration. "We can't keep shuffling paper anymore," she said.
- Digital Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) deployment, and AI protection are among the top three agenda items for the upcoming conference.
- The conference will also address the issue of European digital sovereignty, focusing on how the continent can differentiate itself from the US and Chinese markets through the development of its own software solutions.
As more administrations adopt digital methods, the need to untangle the existing web of disparate systems and coordinate efforts becomes increasingly urgent. Schall, along with new Federal Minister of Digital Affairs, Karsten Wildberger, aim to drive this change during the Digital Ministers Conference next week.
Insights:
- Digital Government Services: The government plans to enhance digital identities and modern registers, which could streamline processes like vehicle registration.
- Digital Ministry: The new coalition government seeks to establish a digital ministry to spearhead digital transformation, focusing on strengthening data centers and digital infrastructure.
- AI and Automation: The coalition agreement emphasizes digitalizing public administration and the justice system by automating processes with AI, although car registration isn't specifically mentioned.
- Data and Digital Governance: Consolidating data regulations and ensuring open data principles could facilitate more efficient and unified digital services across administrations.
- In light of the forthcoming Digital Ministers Conference, the push for unifying and simplifying digital processes, particularly vocational training programs and social administration, across EC countries is critical, especially as technology advances.
- To establish European digital sovereignty and differentiate from the US and Chinese markets, policy-and-legislation relating to the development of indigenous software solutions for vocational training and digital administration, like car registration, needs to be addressed at the conference, drawing attention to the general-news sphere.
