Resolution of the Council of Ministers no. 156/2000, of 16 of November

Published in D.R. number 265 (Series I-B) of 16 November 2000

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros (Council of Ministers' Presidency)

Resolution of the Council of Ministers

The strategy for the diffusion of the information society throughout the Public Administration is aimed at promoting an Open State and an Administration ever closer to the man in the street.

The Green Book for the Information Society in Portugal identified the need to make electronic commerce viable and dynamic and to promote electronic data transfer, decidedly pointing toward an electronic public administration situation.

Thus, in the sequence of a set of measures already taken, it is important that we now adopt new procedures based on communication and information technology which, favouring the electronic approach, facilitates and adds potential to the changing of procedures, routines and innovation within the bounds of the Public Administration with a view to providing citizens with services in a simpler and more accessible manner.

The Government is aware of the need to bring the Public Administration closer to its citizens, reducing the time imposed on them and promoting higher efficiency levels through improved processes of access to services and the availability online of not just correct, complete and up to date information but also the provision of services.

This is decidedly the way to a network society and economy, with recourse to digital communication and information networks.

It is within this framework that we intend to adopt procedures that will provide access, through the Internet and Multibank kiosks, not just to existing services but also to a whole set of progressively increasing public services provided by the Public Administration.

In this sense and with this objective in mind, a project is being developed within the bounds of INFOCID - Sistema Interdepartamental de Informação ao Cidadão. This project is for the online requisition of certificates and is being carried out with the intense cooperation of the services of the Ministries for the State and Public Administration Reform and of Justice.

Taking advantage of the potential of INFOCID as a channel for the distribution of information and the making available of Public Administration services by electronic means, the conditions have now been created for us to take a decisive step in drawing up new projects that will constitute base elements in the fight against bureaucracy and the struggle for administrative simplicity.

Therefore:
Under the terms of paragraph g) of article 199 of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers resolves that:

1 - A Direct Public Service be created within the bounds of INFOCID - Sistema Interdepartamental de Informação ao Cidadão.

2 - The Direct Public Service will make a diverse set of services produced by the different services of the Public Administration available, progressively and by electronic means, with priority being given to those in most demand by citizens and economic agents.

3 - The Ministry for State and Public Administration Reform shall promote, in cooperation with all other ministries, the identification of those services to be made available through the Direct Public Service.

4 - Make the requisition of civil, land and commercial certificates available through the Direct Public Service w.e.f. January 1st, 2001.

5 - The Ministries for State and Public Administration Reform and of Justice shall guarantee the resources necessary to the execution of that referred to in the previous number.

The Presidency of the Council of Ministers, October 26th, 2000. - The Prime Minister, António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres.