Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How will this package of simplification measures improve the quality and efficiency of the civil service?
Reply: The "Simplify Italy" package moves one step forward towards improving the efficiency of the Italian civil service. The basic principle is to make better use of new technologies to simplify the lives of citizens and business. It is precisely for this reason that the civil service has adopted a whole series of measures to benefit the public and to avoid bureaucratic delays and obstacles.
ISTAT has published statistics on the use of e-government by consumers and businesses in 2012, showing that:
- 14% of Italian consumers used the Internet last year as a means of contacting civil service departments.
- The lack of personal contact is hampering wider use of the Internet for 34% of consumers.
- 64% of manufacturing companies, 58% of market service companies, and 49% of retailers use the Internet as their main channel for contacting the civil service.
- It is mainly used for employment-related services; this is followed by medical certificates and certified electronic mail. Considerable use is made of electronic invoicing in the market services sector (37%).
Here are a few of the most interesting novelties:
- Faster civil registry formalities: more than 7 million communications are made exclusively by the Internet. It takes less time to register life events (births, marriages and deaths), to cancel or register with the electoral rolls, or register a change of domicile. Within three months of the entry into force, it will become mandatory for the civil service departments to publish the IBAN codes (International Bank Account Number) on their websites to enable the public to pay fines, school meals vouchers and medical prescription charges online. This was a measures suggested by the general public through the initiative launched by the Ministry for the Civil Service entitled "Red Tape: let us cut it – the citizens' proposals become law", in order to streamline obsolete or over-lengthy administrative procedures.
The initiative of the Ministry
The Civil Service Department, in conjunction with Formez, has requested the general public, the business community and associations to talk about their bureaucratic issues and to propose solutions to procedural delays, on the form which can be found on the Civil Service Department website. The submissions made will be analysed and checked by the government, which will then simplify the most red tape-ridden procedures.
The initiative.
- Every office in the civil service must appoint one senior official vested with "deputising powers". In essence, if the office fails to meet the deadlines for completing procedures, individuals and businesses can have recourse to this official who will be responsible for dealing with the matter rapidly. Officials who fail to comply with the deadlines, which already makes them liable to disciplinary measures and budgetary accountability, will be treated more vigorously and frequently than before. The final measure must state whether the deadlines have been kept. The introduction of bureaucratic burdens on the public and on business is prevented by regular assessments (conducted in the presence of both sides represented by the entrepreneurs' and consumers' organisations) of the burdens introduced and the burdens removed by each government and civil service department. If any department increases the bureaucratic burden, the government will intervene to remove it by issuing appropriate regulations.
- By January 31 each year, central government departments must submit a report to the Prime Minister's office on the "administrative burdens" placed on the general public and on businesses introduced and removed the year before. In the event that the newly introduced burdens exceed of those that have been abolished, the Prime Minister is required to approve specific measures within 30 days thereafter to reduce or remove them.
- Fewer burdens and formalities to tender for public contracts: every year, companies are require, on average, to submit submit the same documentation 27 times to the various awarding authorities. Thanks to the National Public Contracts Database, established at the AVCP (Public Contracts Oversight Authority), civil service departments will now have to consult an electronic file of documentation on each company and conduct the necessary checks on the possession of the eligibility requirements, without requesting companies to re-submit the same documentation.
- After 2014, all communications with civil service and government departments will be done online only: as from 1 January, 2014, the civil service will only use online services and channels, including certified e-mails (PEC).
What is meant by PEC?
PEC – certified e-mails – is an Italian computerised service or instrument which makes it possible to give e-mails same legal value as registered post with the traditional receipt of recorded delivery, but with the advantage that the receipt attesting to delivery also contains the message, the attachments and the identity of the sender and the addressee of the PEC (which are also certified). What makes PEC valid for all legal purposes are the electronic receipts issued by the system certifying that the e-mail has been sent and duly received by the addressee, and date- and time-stamping the operation. "Certified email transmission" means the exchange of e-mails between two addresses, both of which employ the certification service provided by PEC Administrator.
- Within three months the three-year plan to cut government costs will be issued: within 90 days, a three-year plan (2012-2015) is to be introduced to cut the administrative charges to the civil service in respect of matters falling within the purview of the central government (within the framework of the indications and recommendations issued by the European Union). This three-year programme will also trigger a plan for measuring and reducing the time taken and the administrative procedures and regulatory burdens placed on the general public and on business, including administrative burdens and charges.
- Communications to Parliament: by January 31 each year, the Minister for the Civil Service and Simplification will report to both Chambers on the development and results of the simplification policies implemented in the previous year.
- Simplifying administrative procedures through the SCIA: the certified reporting of business start-ups, which makes it possible to trade immediately or to begin operations in the building construction industry, will no longer require the certification issued by authorised technicians, save in certain particular cases.
- Associated management of the ICT services: in order to manage services linked to information and communication technologies - ICT - municipalities with populations of up to 5000 will be obliged to organise themselves into associations. ICT functions include creating and managing technological infrastructure, data networks, phone networks, apparatus, databanks, software applications, licences for software use, computer training and computer consultancy services.
Page published on 11/04/2012
Page updated on 03/10/2012
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