The emphasis that the government places on the digitization of businesses and public services was mentioned by the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, speaking this Wednesday afternoon, at the board of directors of the Athens Chamber of Commerce.

Among other things, it was mentioned to the Digital Assistant on gov.gr, which, as he noted, will be announced in the next few days, and constitutes essentially a first implementation of artificial intelligence.

Specifically, as he said, through the Digital Assistant, the citizen will be able to type or speak his request, and then he will answer him and guide him on the steps to follow.

Regarding the new version of mywallet, as the minister said, this will include a ring unemployment card for those moving in Athens, the certificate for people with disabilities, while the student pass will gradually be included, as well as professional qualifications. Soon, the specific application will also include a package of services related to the car, such as the KTEO license, etc., “while very soon we will forget the concept of the certificate, as, thanks to the upgrade of the wallet, it will be possible to transfer information without the need to handle pdf files’.

As he explained, with the new wallet there will be no need to issue certificates by the State for the State, but neither to circulate the same documents digitally, while the citizen will only give his approval so that each service or body has access to specific information requested at the given time, in order to complete the required process. The next step will be to remove the certificates where they are not needed.

Every day we digitize new services, noted the minister and added that now the goal is, after all the State systems have been interconnected, to remove some of their parts in the next phase. “For example, there is no reason for any service to ask from the citizen’s birth certificate, when the specifics are available in the State systems”.

The minister made special reference to the possibility that small and medium-sized businesses have to utilize the funds from NSRF programs, he noted that broadband is progressing at a rapid pace, while he also noted the effort being made to ensure cyber security.

It is necessary to take advantage of the digital transition of businesses and the full digitization of the Government

Small and medium-sized enterprises are waiting for more programs through which the modernization of SMEs and freelancers and the self-employed can be achieved, as noted by the president of the chamber, Yannis Hatzitheodosiou, while underlining the key role of finance for adaptation.

In addition, he noted that the business community is waiting for the acceleration of the procedures for the full digitization of the Government – especially in the field of Justice.

“The fight against bureaucracy and the faster delivery of justice, they are weapons that will prove extremely useful in attracting investments, which the country needs so much. Also, every improvement in the daily life of the citizen, has, among other things, a positive imprint on the course of the business” pointed out the president, adding that the ministry can be seen as a valuable ally also in the utilization by businesses of the great potential that the Artificial Intelligence can offer Intelligence.

“Today – he continued – society as a whole is facing a series of challenges. Punctuality, the continuation of the energy crisis, a reduction in market consumption, an open front for taxation, serious problems with business financing, debts coming from the past, are just some of the adversities that small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and freelancers have to overcome professionals to keep our businesses running smoothly. A valuable ally against all of this can be the utilization of technology and above all the digital transition of businesses, but also the complete digitization of the State”.

The president reminded that the Professional Chamber of Athens has fully digitized services and gives particular sensitivity to the modernization of its members while adding that, already, the EEA, on behalf of the Ministry of Digital Governance, “runs” the project EPAD (National Program for the Simplification of Procedures) which concerns the recording and simplification of procedures and their registration in MITOS.

The president concluded his speech by stating the following: “Small and medium-sized businesses are asking for the intervention of the Ministry of Digital Governance in finding resources so that they can support themselves more effectively in this digital transformation effort. That is to implement more programs, through which the modernization of SMEs and freelancers and the self-employed can be achieved. This issue of financing is crucial, as any change or improvement in the way businesses operate, requires some costs, which are difficult to impossible to cover themselves, due to the unfavorable conditions prevailing in the real economy… It will be a real shame to there is a possibility of stimulating small and medium entrepreneurship and eventually not doing so. If businesses of this size are left to their own devices, all we will see is a growing gap between big and small, which is not good, neither for our economy, nor for society.”

For his part, the president of the General Confederation of Professional Craft Merchants of Greece, George Kavvathas, he highlighted the issue of interconnectivity and security of digital transactions.