FAQ

www.e-moldova.md is a portal with information about Electronic Moldova, Electronic Governance, related documents, documents describing the activities of the Moldavian information society, expert opinions, citizens opinions, useful Internet links, success stories and news of interest in this sphere – actions undertaken in the frames of the UNDP Moldova project „ Implementation of the e-Governance Component of the National Strategy “e-Moldova” , launched in the Republic of Moldova in close partnership with the Ministry of Information Development.

This site also encourages you to follow the world’s best practices accumulated and permanently analyzed by UNDP within its project to assist the Government of Moldova in the development of Electronic Governance. We have to mention that the project coordinated by the Ministry of Information Development, is also co-financed by UNDP, Government of Japan and SOROS Foundation. Since 2002, the project orients its activities in a manner ensuring that public services are citizen-centered. The project aims to suggest solutions based on the best world’s practices in the field.

According to the Declaration of intentions approved at Ljubljana in 2002 by the member states of Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, the Republic of Moldova assumed the responsibility to develop an information society oriented towards the interests of citizens and society, based on the principles of UN Statute, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Okinawa Charter on global information society (2000) and World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva 2003 . The information society is a new, more perfect form of human civilization where equal and universal access to information in correlation with a developed information and communication infrastructure, contributes to the development of an open society based on democratic values, poverty reduction, improving life quality, offering opportunities for the integration into the European Union.

A developed information society will contribute to the progress and welfare of all the people in the world. The way of building an information society is an issue we all have to think of. Introducing electronic systems for the improvement of the administration authorities’ activity supposes a gradual transfer to new working techniques that would contribute at institutions and users accepting electronic infrastructure and content. Recently, many countries have launched national electronic systems which allow downloading administrative applications, providing electronic services to citizens and companies. All these projects pursue the increase of transparency in administrative practices; increase of activity efficiency, reducing costs and bureaucracy; increase the responsibility of civil servants.

Electronic governance, or most commonly used as e-governance, consists of the interaction between citizens and the government, parliament, and other public institutions, as well as the communication between these electronically. Informing about draft laws of the day, publishing the citizens’ opinions, tax payment, filling out complaints and petitions online – all of these represent efficient means provided by the state in respect of fundamental civil rights. The essence of electronic governance implementation is from top to bottom [from the state to citizen] and not vice-versa.

Thus, Electronic Governance means the use of information and communication technologies by central public administration authorities, with the purpose to:

1. improve access to public information and services provided by central public administration authorities;

2. eliminate bureaucratic procedures and facilitate working methodology;

3. improve information and service exchange between central public administration authorities;

4. improve quality of public services at the level of central public administration;

According to electronic governance, human rights are as follows :

• electronic democracy;

• personal data protection;

• right to hold private information;

• circulation of cultural value;

• linguistic diversity.

The electronic governance systems provide an alternative solution for administrative problems which otherwise require repeated visits to respective institution offices. Thus, all those who have an Internet connection (home or office), as well as those who have Internet access in public places, can download the necessary administrative applications and even solve their problems sitting in front of a computer. A great number of issues can be solved, if Electronic Governance is implemented; in this case the citizens do not need to leave their places, as they can obtain the majority of documents and solutions by using modern technologies. Authorities become transparent.

Modern technologies ensure that every member of the society can participate in the decision-making process, by expressing his or her opinion about the draft documents posted on the official pages of governmental institutions. This is how direct democracy is realized!

These solutions are already being applied in a number of countries, and Estonia can serve as an example because not long ago its situation was quite similar to the situation of Moldova; currently Estonia is quite advanced in electronic governance implementation..

• public expense reduction, eliminating bureaucracy and corruption within public institutions;
• increase the transparency degree in the use and management of public funds;
• improve the access to information and public services according to the legislation regarding personal data protection and free access to information of public interest;
• eliminate direct contact between employees at office window and citizens or economic agents;
• provide high quality information and public services electronically;
• enhance public institutions administrative capacity to carry out their role and objectives and to ensure transparent providing of information and public services;
• promote the collaboration between public institutions in providing public services electronically;
• redefinition of relationships between citizens and public administration, as well as between the business environment and public administration, in order to facilitate the access of these to public services and information, through information technologies;
• promote the use of Internet and top technologies in public institutions.

Citizens have difficulties in obtaining services from governmental institutions (and this is not only Moldova ’s case), they spend time, money, efforts. For example, in order to obtain various certificates, authorizations, documents, etc. – rural inhabitants have to arrive to district centers or even to Chisinau, have to wait in long queues at different institutions, they get stressed, sometimes have to pay bribes, etc.

Except elections, citizens can not take part at elaborating state documents, at decision-making processes; which means their democratic rights are not respected.

On the other hand, civil servants spend much time on receiving data from other governmental institutions, and lack instruments that would facilitate the procedures.

Within the project, a number of surveys have been taken, and the results are as follows:

• 82% of central public administration institutions (23 out of 28) run their own web-sites, while only 1% of local public administration units have web sites.
• About 39% of Public Administration offices are not equipped with personal computers.
• 77% of Public Administration offices do not have access to Internet. 87,6% of central public administration institutions and 22% of local public administration units have access to Internet.
• Only 23.67% of the central public administration staff and 4.66% of local public administration staff have access to the Internet at work.
• The average percentagesof the budget spent for Information and Communication Technologies at central level represent 3.36%; the budget at local level is even less - only 0.86% of the total Public Administration budget.
• About 28,5% of the population have access to computers, out of which - 10,2% – have computer access at home.
• Over 70% of the population who use a computer - are computer users for less than 3 years;
• 70% of households benefit from ordinary fixed telephone service, 42,8% of families – have at least one mobile telephone;

The Internet is accessible to 16 % of the population, including: urban regions – to 33,9 %, rural localities - to 4,6 %.

• Transparency in governance procedures
• Online services available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
• Development of electronic services and digital content
• Secured bidirectional communication
• Acceleration of European Integration process
• Cost reductions
• Increased motivation

We shall have efficient management results due to:

• reforming of old processes – informatizationr
• eduction of interdepartmental borders
• data centralization, unification and exploitation (digitally stocked)
• improving of relationships with the private sector (public procurement, public sales)
• citizens’ needs are better known
• less bureaucracy

The citizens will be content and informed:

• they have easy and direct access to public information
• participate at the governance process
• receive better services
• receive new services
• have easy access to public services
• less bureaucracy and corruption
• transparency in governance

We shall have a more productive private sector:

• through easy and direct access to public information
• through reduction of informing costs
• through tax payment reduction
• online company foundation, other procedures and documents required by law
• through increase of competitiveness and transparency in business relationships with public administration
• less bureaucracy and corruption

According to „Global e-Government, 2005” study, Moldova takes the 51-st place, close to such countries like Sweden, Austria, Tonga, Congo Republic, Laos, due to multi-linguistic appearance. (100 points). We got 0 points at the rest of the categories.

Moldova are ca parteneri în acest domeniu Programul Natiunilor Unite pentru Dezvoltare (PNUD), Guvernul Japoniei, Fundaţia SOROS Moldova. Se fac eforturi pentru consolidarea fondurilor de edificare a e-guvernarii. Delegaţiile care recent au vizitat Moldova din ţările Baltice şi au o experienţă în domeniu şi-au exprimat disponibilitatea de a împărtăşi această experienţă şi cu noi. Există o comunitate a celor mai bune practici în domeniul aplicării tehnologiilor informaţiei şi comunicaţiilor la care participă şi ţara noastră avînd acces la cele mai noi realizări din domeniu.

The World Information Society Day was celebrated on May 17, 2006, for the first time, so as to mark the foundation of the International Telecommunication Union in 1865, more than 140 years ago. Previously, this used to be the World Telecommunication Day celebration.

The whole world is celebrating this special occasion by organizing various public events, conferences, symposiums, round tables, official reunions. UN ex-Secretary-General Kofi Annan, addressed all the UN member states to contribute at raising awareness concerning informational safety and development of an international network of initiatives, and security in the sphere of information technologies, in order to improve security and build trust in using information and communication technologies. Kofi Annan mentioned that this is essential for a continuous growth and development of countries’ economies, especially in less developed countries.