The role of Information Society S.A. as a central hub for the development of planning and implementation of the digital transformation of the public administration was highlighted in discussions held at the Delphi Economic Forum XI (22–25 April), with a focus on the acceleration of projects, the quality of interventions and the formation of a more coherent, citizen-centric state.
The CEO of Information Society S.A. Stavros Asthenidis, referred to the progress in the implementation of the projects and the strict specifications that govern them, noting that more than 250 contracted projects are already underway. As he said, more than 2,500 digital services are now provided through the Gov.gr platform, covering the majority of citizens’ transactions with the public sector. At the same time, he described the single digital infrastructure for citizen and business services (CRM) as an ‘umbrella project’, which will be a central reference point for interoperability between the state, citizens and businesses.
As he stressed, the 30th of June is a key milestone, as for the first time no extensions will be granted, which intensifies the pressure for timely and qualitative completion of the projects. “There will be no discount in the implementation and quality that has been predetermined,” he noted, clarifying that projects that do not meet the specifications will not be accepted or paid for. He estimated that 85%-90% of the projects will be completed on schedule, while those not completed will be carried over to the next programming cycle.
The intervention of Dimitris Giantsis, General Director of Information Society S.A. was also decisive, as he described the scope and dynamics of the projects currently underway. As he noted, since 2019, more than 390 public tenders have been launched, with a total budget of around €2.9 billion, while more than 600 contracts have been concluded and almost €3 billion have been disbursed to contractors, citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises.
He placed particular emphasis on the CRM project ‘Unified Digital Infrastructure for Citizen and Business Services’, which he described as ’emblematic’ for the new era of public administration, as it aspires to become the single gateway for citizen and business services. “We want to have a unified service for the Greek citizen and businessman’, he said, stressing that this is ‘a total change of philosophy in the interaction between the state and citizens and not just a digital application’. As he pointed out, the success of the project is directly linked to the interoperability of information systems, the completion of the necessary institutional framework and the possibility of secure data utilisation, in the context of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan ‘Greece 2.0’, with the funding of the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
Mr Giantsis also referred to the PPD – SYZEFXIS II, – a project implemented by Information Society S.A. – which concerns the upgrading of the technological equipment and network infrastructure of the Public Sector. As he noted, the project is expected to strengthen digital services, improve the level of security in data management and contribute to a more efficient use of public resources. The publicity actions of the project are implemented in the framework of ‘Greece 2.0’, with funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
The statements of Mr Asthenides and Mr Giantsis highlighted Information Society S.A. as the key mechanism for the implementation of the transition to a ‘strategic state’, where technology functions as a tool for simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency and improving the citizen’s experience.
The discussions showed that Greece is at a critical juncture: the next phase is not only about planning, but mainly about disciplined implementation, coordination and quality assurance of projects, with Information Society S.A. playing a key role in this transition.
