Bulgaria (BG) : Testing integrated eGovernment services platform

On 1 February 2010 the Bulgarian Government officially started testing an integrated web platform providing 13 municipal and central government services online. The platform was made accessible at http://portal.egov.bg/ (in Bulgarian only for the time being).

In a press release of January 2010, the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

(MTITC) announced how the concept of integrated eServices would work in practice.

The online issuance of certificates proving one's permanent address has been the first service to be tested on the platform. The service is expected to save considerable time to those citizens who want to have their new address featured on their identity card or passport. In the beginning, two regional governments (including the Sofia region) will be offering this service, but the MTITC expects more municipalities to take part. The registration of their permanent address is mandatory for all citizens in Bulgaria.

The only condition for accessing this service is to use a digital signature for obvious security reasons, to prevent malicious persons from changing someone else's address. Obtaining a certificate of permanent address only requires a few minutes (it used to exceed an hour with the previous procedures). Likewise, the service delivery is independent from the Administration's working hours; it is thus cost efficient too.

Family situation, pregnancy or unemployment summaries will be made accessible through the platform with the

legal value of an official document. They will serve as a basis for verifying the period for which the benefits are

calculated. The concerned users will be able to check the status of the benefits/pensions paid via the portal.

Among other services planned to be added are the online application for a marital status certificate and property restitution claims (for the Varna city residents at first). Two maritime services, namely the access to excerpts from the ship register and the application for/issuance of certificates for the seagoing ships, will be made available too.

The main advantages of such integrated platform are: a single place to access the public eServices of all levels of government; the data provided by several Public Administrations is featured in a unified manner; the joining of more public authorities on the platform will save citizens the need to submit the same documents several times.

The preparations for the introduction of eGovernment in Bulgaria date back to 2002. The investment of resources and effort in technology and information systems has not lead until now to a genuinely integrated public eServices delivery. Following the handing over to MTITC of the entire responsibility for eGovernment development, the launch of the pilot integrated platform appears as a first time synchronised effort of the various institutions involved in the process.

Another first lies with the fact that the platform's development took place before the eyes of the users who could make recommendations and suggestions on how to improve it.

Further information:

Official press release - Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications (in Bulgarian)

Integrated eGovernment services platform (in Bulgarian)

Source : CTM