Balbisi and Samirat Hold a Session for General Secretaries on the Paperless Government Index

Balbisi emphasized that the paperless government does not mean reducing paper consumption or saving on its printing costs, but its essence is based on building an operational environment within government agencies that relies on technology and digital systems, explaining that this environment will help reduce reliance on paper procedures and documents, and increase efficiency, which will reflect on reducing time and effort, in addition to enhancing readiness for the future, so that all ministry or institution processes are digital, integrated, and capable of benefiting from data and using artificial intelligence tools.

She pointed out that the digital environment in government agencies is at the heart of the second executive program of the roadmap for updating the public sector, especially regarding the citizen-centered government axis, stressing the importance of the paperless government index as a tool for measuring the extent of transformation in the operational and administrative environment of government entities.

Balbisi noted that the Council of Ministers' decision to raise the paperless government index by 20 percent and accelerate digital transformation comes through activating electronic correspondence, expanding the use of digital signatures and electronic archiving, using government systems adopted in human resources and administrative procedures, and reducing the request for paper documents and copies when they are available electronically.

Balbisi called on secretaries and general managers to accelerate the digital transformation within government ministries and institutions, considering them leaders of change and responsible for this transformation, which will reflect on improving institutional and individual performance.

For his part, Samirat confirmed that the transition to a paperless government means redesigning the work cycle within government institutions to become digital from start to finish, including correspondence, procedures, approvals, signatures, and archiving, which will reflect on the speed of achievement, efficiency, and ease of follow-up.

He pointed out that adopting a 58 percent rate as a baseline for the paperless government index represents a starting point for measuring progress, noting that the Council of Ministers' decision set a clear implementation path to raise the index by at least 20 percent within twelve months, through executive plans that identify the procedures that still require the use of paper, the targets and systems required, to achieve a more integrated and efficient government work environment.

Samirat added that the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship will continue its role in empowering and technically supporting government entities, enhancing systems integration and data exchange, and expanding the use of digital identity and signatures, noting that government correspondence systems represent a practical model of this transformation, by transferring correspondence from paper circulation to an integrated digital workflow, starting with its creation, passing through its conversion and follow-up, up to its approval and electronic storage.

A number of secretaries and general managers presented interventions during the session, focusing on the reality of digital transformation in their institutions and the challenges they face, confirming the importance of the paperless government index in measuring the extent of digital transformation in public institutions.

The session featured a visual presentation by the Director of the Government Services and Procedures Team in the Public Sector Update Program Management and Implementation Unit, Engineer Abir Lataya, and the Director of Digital Development and Empowerment at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Engineer Bilal Bani Hani, on the paperless government index, in which they reviewed the current situation of institutions and the steps required in the coming period.

The session also featured an introductory video about the paperless government index platform, which measures the digital transformation rate within government agencies, and the challenges they face.