F I N L A N D: eGovernment Development Supporting the Growth of eCommerce

1. F I N L A N D:eGovernment Development Supporting the Growth of eCommerce Antti Eskola Ministry of Trade and Industry Helsinki, Finland

2. Structure of the presentation • Citizens eReady • Businesses eReady • Finland among forerunners in eGovernment • Companies using eGovernment services • Some development issues regarding eGovernment services for businesses • Current and future issues

3. Finland: Citizens enthusiastic Internet usersInternet users by age group (15 to 74 years old) Internet users, spring 2001 to spring 2005, percentage of 15 to 74-year-olds by age group

4. Attitudes regarding the safety of the Internet Source: Statistics Finland, November 2005

5. Accenture 2006: 73 % of Finnish citizens have tried eGovernment, 43 % prefer eGov channels

6. SMEs quickly getting connected to broadband Percentage of Finnish SMEs in different company sizes having broadband (>256 Mb/s) connection % Year Number of Staff

7. Although the level of eCommerce still low... Proportion of electronic commerce in enterprises with at least 5 employees, percentage of turnover, 2004 1) Internet sales refer here to orders made by filling in and sending a ready-made electronic form on the Internet, or purchases made in actual online stores 2) EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is a procedure where a dataflow of a specified form is produced from the information in an enterprise’s computer system, and is then transmitted electronically to a receiving enterprise and downloaded there automatically into its information system. Source: Statistics Finland, Internet use and e-commerce in enterprises

8. ...Companies are advancing to eBusiness European eBusiness Readiness Index, 2005 ’eCommerce and IT-integration’ ’Infrastructure and basic use’

9. Accenture 2006: Finland is among forerunners in eGovernment Among the leaders Maintaining Status Quo Moving Towards Value Creation • Positive factors for Finland: • Work toward a more centralised IT governance • National Information Society Programme and Strategy work • USA • France • Canada • Singapore • Australia • Denmark • Finland • Japan • Norway The country’s rank in customer service leadersip in 2005 Falling Further Behind? Verging on Dramatic Change • The Netherlands • Sweden • Germamny • Belgium • Ireland • Italy • Malaysia • Portugal • South Africa • Brazil • United Kingdom • Spain Not among the leaders Progressing Standing still

10. Finnish Businesses use public online servicesEuropean comparison 2004

11. Companies using online services such as... • EnterpriseFinland (www.enterprisefinland.fi) portal • provides info on public services and support for companies • Company register (www.ytj.fi) portal • listing all Finnish companies identified with a unique number • B to G ’compulsory data reporting’ portal (www.tyvi.fi) • channeling compulsory tax, social security, customs data through one portal that directs the data automatically to the relevant public authorities • Salary reporting portal (www.palkka.fi) • a portal for households and microenterprises for reporting salaries • calculates social security and other payments

12. Under consideration / preparation... • Identity management platform for organisations • to identify customers of Tax Authority, National Social Security Institute • possibly to be extended for B-to-B use, possibly free of charge • Making it compulsory for public authorities to receive and send their invoices electronically • 2007 & 2008 proposed as deadlines • Following Denmark’s example • (public sector eInvoicing compulsory since February 2005)

13. Current and upcoming issues: • National Information Society Strategy 2015 includes a number of proposed measures promoting eCommerce • IPR legislation, particularly on digital content • developing eBusiness skills of SMEs • coordination of standardisation activities in Finland • transportation telematics • developing eCustoms • international cooperation

14. Thank you Antti Eskola Ministry of Trade and industry Finland