In Brazil, the federal government is committed to digitalization. The special secretary for debureaucratization Paulo Uebel has set as a goal that, of the 3,000 public services provided by the Federal Executive, 80% will be available through electronic channels.
Currently, 1,250 public administration services in Brazil are bureaucratized, 42% of the total. By 2020, Paulo Uebel expects the State to have reached the 80% goal.
Uebel pointed out that the availability of services on the internet is part of the digital transformation plan of the federal government. “We have the question of what is digital, how to incorporate in our processes. In the formation of servers and the elaboration of public policies, what we synthesize in a digital government, the increase of 1% in digital government brings an enlargement of 0, 5% in GDP, of 0.13% in the HDI (Human Development Index) and of 1.9% in international trade.”
In addition to this commitment, on June 11, ten deputies from different parties presented a bill to the Brazilian government to adopt new technologies for public administration, such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.
The bill PL 3443/2019 carries the title “Digital Provision of Public Services in the Public Administration – Digital Government,”. The federal government assured that it would consider it.
Digital Government: priority in the Latin American region
Several countries in the world are in the process of transitioning to a Digital Government. Among the benefits of electronic government is the strengthening of society and its relationship with the State, in addition to allowing the opening of data and its use.
In Latin America, 73% percent of countries have a digital strategy. However, so far only 30% of government procedures in Latin America can be done by digital means, while only 7% of citizens take advantage of these services, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank.
In terms of digital government, Uruguay maintained an undisputed leadership and achieved the 34th position of the e-Government Readiness 2018, a report made by the United Nations. The use of digital tools for the government in Uruguay includes applications to promote citizen participation, such as Montevideo Decide.
Brazilian banks created a blockchain platform
The inclusion of the blockchain in the law project PL 3443/2019 attracted attention in the cryptocurrencies media as it seems to be an advance of the order given by the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, who requested the creation of a commission to consider the regulation of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in the country.
The banks in Brazil also presented a blockchain platform on June 12, developed by the Blockchain R3 software consortium with an association of the Bradesco, Itaú and B3 banks. The platform would serve to improve foreign trade and insurance.
The executive group commented that before further expansion, blockchain technology should mature and become safe enough for large corporations. This caution about innovation seems a little exaggerated if we consider that in Brazil high-level digital competitors like Nubank have emerged, who, using the new technologies, have been able to challenge the majority dominance of a few banks over the financial market.
Even when it’s slow, the adoption of the blockchain by the Brazilian banks and the bill promoting this technology to be adopted by the federal government in Brazil are a sign that the region seeks to keep up to date with global technological trends, although the investment sometimes is not enough, while advances tend to be unequal.