Taking a closer look at Malta’s eGovernment Benchmark ranking

Malta has consistently topped the EU eGovernment Benchmark since 2012, reflecting substantial investments in the online interface for citizen-government interactions.

In an interview with Ms. Priscilla Bugeja, Head of MITA’s eGovernment Services Department, details about the assessment criteria and Malta’s achievements were discussed. The eGovernment Benchmark evaluates digitalization of national government services across key life events, where Malta excels in user centricity, transparency, key enablers, and cross-border services, achieving an overall score of 96%.

Ms. Bugeja highlights MITA’s role in providing solutions to the government, but notes challenges in encouraging service usage. Despite a notable increase in recent years, reaching a 73% usage rate, proximity to physical government offices remains an obstacle. Ms. Bugeja identifies pivotal initiatives that transformed citizen-government interactions, including the 2000 eGovernment Vision and Strategy and the 2016 Mobile Government Strategy. Ongoing efforts focus on enhancing digital solutions, with the eGovernment Services Department collaborating on a Corporate Electronic Document Management System.

The overarching mission is to make life easier for people and businesses while ensuring inclusivity in the digital transition.