The Minister of Electronic Governance, Valentin Mundrov, brought together at a working meeting all providers of certification services in the country in order to launch one of the key projects in the digitalization of the state - the construction of a Bulgarian state electronic wallet.
During the conversation, the participants united around the idea that such a project can be successful only if the state and the private sector work side by side, and not on separate tracks. The start of a joint project with the active participation of technology companies, which already have experience in the field of certification services and electronic identification, was agreed.
"The state electronic wallet is a key element of the digital transformation of Bulgaria. It affects every citizen and every company, so its success is possible only through a real partnership between the state and business. Our goal is to build a secure, open and state platform that creates conditions for development, innovation and trust", stressed the Minister of Electronic Governance, Valentin Mundrov.
According to him, in the future state electronic wallet, all the main functionalities will be free to use and upgrade, while at the same time there will be room for the development of private solutions and services. Thus, citizens, companies and organizations will have access to a unified, secure infrastructure, and businesses will be able to offer added value on it. The participants in the meeting stressed that this project affects literally everyone - from the individual to large companies - and therefore the approach should be community-based, not fragmented.
Minister Mundrov emphasized the need for quick and measured actions, without unnecessary delay. The architecture and technical specifications of the electronic wallet will be developed jointly with representatives of the business, so that the system meets the real needs of the market and at the same time complies with the high requirements for security and reliability. It was categorically stated that the ownership of the platform will be - and must remain - state-owned.
Representatives of the providers of certification services welcomed the proposed model of cooperation and defined it as a logical and correct direction for the development of digital identity and electronic services in Bulgaria. At the end of the meeting, the parties set a specific deadline - by mid-February to prepare an initial version of the project, on which to start real work.
The construction of the National Health Information System, which is being developed on a similar model of joint work, was cited as a positive and already proven example of effective partnership between the state and the private sector.