Equal access to digital education will prevent digital divide between Bulgarian citizens

The biggest challenge before the e-government in Bulgaria is the finding of an approach for motivation of citizens to require and use e-services.

‘We shall not allow digital divide between Bulgarian citizens. This requires equal access to education in view of digital technologies and equal access to e-services’ commented the Chairperson of the State E-Government Agency (SEGA) Atanas Temelkov before the participants in the Global Women Leaders` Forum, held at the National Palace of Culture and entitled ‘Inspiring Digital Leaders of the Future”. This forum is a part of the program of Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council аnd is under the auspices of the European Commissioner for digital economy and society Mariya Gabriel.

Atanas Temelkov stated that one of the biggest challenges before the e-government in Bulgaria is the finding of an approach for motivation of citizens to require and use e-services, including e-banking and online shopping. At present the significant majority of the Bulgarian citizens – over 80% – use internet for other purposes.

‘In 2017 the government terminated the use of 12 of the most commonly required certificates and during the current year the government will cancel the need of the same quantity of certificates on paper for the citizens and the business’ stated Atanas Temelkov and presented the main focuses of the e-government policy in the country. ‘Together with partner institutions SEGA works on a series of initiatives aimed at improvement of digital skills of young people and of cyber security and cyber hygiene’ added Atanas Temelkov.

Women form over 60% of the management team and over 60% of the total number of personnel of the State E-Government Agency. 92% of them have a university degree. ‘If this trend is preserved the State E-Government Agency will become one of the leading organizations in our country with regard to women occupied in the field of digital technologies’ added the Chairperson of SEGA.

The discussion was attended by the Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, the Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU Lilyana Pavlova, the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Zornitsa Rusinova, representatives of the business in Bulgaria, diplomats.