Adopting e-government is up to political will, says President

The establishment of comprehensive electronic state services, known as e-government, would make the lives of people, entrepreneurs and the self-employed much easier, said Slovak President Andrej Kiska during an official visit to Estonia on Tuesday. "E-government isn't a question of money, but a question of political will", emphasised Kiska in the capital of Estonia, which is home to one of the world's most comprehensive and advanced e-government systems. He added that the system was developed quickly and at a low cost. "If we consider that the tax declarations are done in under a minute or that medical prescriptions wouldn't need to be printed out, it's clear that lives can be made considerably easier", said the president. He's worried by the fact that lots of money has already been invested in Slovakia's e-government with no tangible results. Therefore, a delegation including business leaders and the public sector are accompanying Kiska on the visit to Estonia. He also appreciated Estonia's willingness to help Slovakia either by consultations or by directly providing the experts. Individual services within e-government were being introduced since 2000 with the electronic submission of tax declarations. Since 2002 electronic identity cards, in 2005 electronic system of elections were introduced, and in 2008 the health-care electronic system, so-called e-health, was launched. E-government covers approximately 99 percent of all state services in Estonia, completely electronically. Estonians are now able to register the birth of a baby, apply for family and social allowances, and register a company online. "What you can't do electronically in Estonia is get married, get divorced or sell your house", explained Anna Piperal, CEO of the innovation centre e-Estonia Showroom.