Cutting edge “digital identity” technology is being considered to administer devolved taxes in Scotland, it has emerged.
Research is being carried out by Scottish Government officials into the cutting-edge digital tax system used in Estonia.
The Baltic state is recognised as a global leader in digital government, with citizens able to access a huge range of public and private services including banking and health with a single digital identification code.
Read more: GB: Scotland to learn about tax from Baltic ‘digital government’
The Daily Mail reports this morning that the civil service has been increasing in size:
“The surge in bureaucrats is led by the Department for International Development (DfID) which has almost 39 per cent more staff than seven years ago. While there were 1,600 civil servants at the ministry in the summer of 2010, there are now 2,220. This is the largest increase across all departments. In a sign that austerity is coming to an end, latest figures show that across Whitehall there are more than 390,000 officials, up 2 per cent over the past year. The Institute for Government think tank, which has analysed the official statistics, say staff numbers have increased for four quarters in a row for the first time since at least 2010.”
The declarations aims to reinvigorate Europe's e-Government efforts and intend to agree upon a roadmap for ‘next steps’ both at national and EU level
The minister for Government and Resilience and Efficiency Caroline Nokes is expected to sign the EU’s Tallinn Declaration on e-Government tomorrow at a ministerial meeting and conference organised by the Estonian EU presidency.
Read more: UK to sign Tallinn Declaration on e-Government tomorrow
Vodafone explores the trends enabling digital change to be expanded and accelerated across government
The UK boasts one of the world’s most advanced digital governments. In terms of open data for example, the UK is a global leader. And in 2016, the UK was top of the United Nations E-Government survey, which measures e-government effectiveness in delivering basic economic and social services across a range of sectors, including education and health.
Read more: GB: 5 Key Trends Helping to Drive Successful Digital Change
As digital technology continues to evolve and permeate every aspect of modern life, its role within the public sector is changing. Ian Dowson, the co-founder of GovTech, explores the opportunities being created and the potential for true digital transformation in governments worldwide.
GovTech is gaining momentum as it is passing from an emergent state and is poised to go global, it could be in a similar position to FinTech 5 years ago, according to a report "GovTech: an Emergent Sector Revolutionising Public Services". Global government spending on technology is one of the largest ICT segments and is estimated to be a market worth at least $450 billion, with the US worth over $100 billion.