NASES: New Plaform Needed, Slovensko.Digital Omits Key Facts

Bratislava, 29 September (TASR) – A new digital platform is being developed to modernise public e-services in Slovakia, addressing the shortcomings of the existing system, which is outdated, user-unfriendly, and failing to meet citizens’ expectations, the National Agency for Network and Digital Services (NASES) stated on Monday. NASES said this in response to recent criticism from the civic association Slovensko.Digital, which NASES claims is either deliberately or unintentionally presenting partial information and omitting key facts. „The state is preparing a new digital platform that will offer citizens a mobile digital mailbox, remote qualified e-signing, and significantly simplified digital communication with public authorities. Everything will be accessible directly via mobile phones – without the need for card readers, physical ID cards, or complex technical setups,” NASES explained. According to the agency, the budget of up to €68 million will cover licensing for the entire new digital infrastructure, including the mobile mailbox, remote signing system, and communication and authentication tools for citizens (G2C), businesses (G2B), and public sector institutions (G2G). The investment is intended to form the technological core of the next generation of government digital services, ultimately replacing the current Public Administration Digital Centre (UPVS). „These are long-term planned activities financed from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which has a deadline in less than a year. If we just debated and took no action, perhaps Slovensko.Digital would be satisfied, but citizens would still lack 21st-century digital services. The procurement processes are being conducted through standard, legal, and transparent procedures,” the agency said. On Thursday, 25 September, Slovensko.Digital called on NASES and the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization (MIRRI) to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement process for a server platform supporting remote qualified e-signing. The organisation described the procurement as unjustified, potentially unlawful, and excessively costly, asserting that it lacks a rational foundation. mf