POLICY BRIEF: Degree of use of digital services in Moldova: realities, challenges and recommendations

Author: Victor Guzun

Introduction

The Republic of Moldova has placed the digitalization of public services among its development priorities. In 2010, the Electronic Governance Agency (AGE) was created, with the aim of advancing technological innovations in government institutions, rethinking administrative processes, and streamlining public services through digital solutions. The current government oversees the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization (MDED), with the minister holds holding the status of a deputy prime minister, thus aknowledging the cross-cutting and interinstitutional nature of digital transformation-related issues.

On September 14th, 2023, the Government has approved the National Digital Transformation Strategy 2023-2030, which includes, among its performance indicators, a clause that by the end of 2024 – 75% of all public services will be digitized, and by 2030 – all public services will be digital. Additionally, the Strategy, as a fundamental document in the field of digital transformation, the elements of which are mandatory for implementation by government institutions, highlights the inclusive nature of e-governance, alongside the assurance of distributed responsibility assumed by all institutions, the role of the human factor, educational aspects, the development of digital skills in public institutions, as well as a series of fundamental prerequisites for the development of an authentic digital society across all its facets.

This analytical note explores the degree of use of digital services in the Republic of Moldova and provides a better understanding of the existing challenges in the dimension of promoting these services in society. Starting from the analysis of data provided by MDED and AGE, following requests for information sent by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), the document proposes a series of recommendations for the popularization of digital services among civil society, the business environment businesses, and public institutions.

Disclaimer

This policy brief is developed by IPRE, with the support of the projects ”Policy Advisory Fund” and ”E-governance and digitalization in the Eastern Partnership countries”, financed by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ Moldova.