Cyprus’s Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, has announced significant advancements in the country’s digital transition program, set to unfold this year. Central to these developments is the introduction of a “digital citizen” initiative, which includes a mobile app that will allow individuals to store their ID card, driving license, and vehicle suitability certificate digitally. The aim is to reduce the need for physical presence and streamline interactions with the government.
“We will start this year with three basic documents, the identity card, the driving license, and the vehicle suitability certificate,” Damianou said.
Additionally, Damianou highlighted the scheduled launch of a new central government gateway, gov.cy, expected around June or July. The web portal will facilitate various state services online. It will also support an electronic identity and signature system, simplifying processes that traditionally require a physical signature.
“I hope that in May we will be able to announce how we will provide each citizen with an electronic identity and electronic signature,” the Deputy Minister explained.
Damianou also detailed plans for the implementation of artificial intelligence across public services, emphasizing the deployment of a “digital assistant” by the year’s end. This tool will use generative AI technologies similar to ChatGPT to provide quick and reliable answers to citizens, reflecting a broader strategy to embed AI in sectors like tourism, policing, cybersecurity, and agriculture.
The Deputy Minister’s update comes as various governments around the world escalate work on digital transformation programs in which digital ID is expected to play an important role. In Indonesia this week, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair held a meeting with Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi at which the two laid out their plans for the Indonesian government to work with the Tony Blair Institute to study “data centers, satellite-powered connectivity, and digital ID,” as Setiadi put it.
Sources: Cyprus Mail, Antara
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April 19, 2024 – by Alex Perala
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