President Piñera presents digital transformation bill and creates advisory council on State modernization

President Sebastián Piñera signed a bill of law this Monday to reduce the load of administrative paperwork and promote the use of digital documents. He also presented the Permanent Advisory Council for State Modernization, which will guide the country in reforms to streamline the functions of public offices.

During the ceremony where, for the first time in history, he signed a bill of law in digital form, the President emphasized that “the goals to modernize the State are very simple: to streamline, economize and simplify the relationship between citizens and the State, on behalf of both the citizens and the State. This will help our fellow citizens fulfill their dreams, solve their problems, develop their talents and seize opportunities”.

The Digital Transformation bill, presented at the Government Laboratory, aims to promote the compulsory use of electronic support for administrative procedures and give legal validity to original paper documents in digitalized form.

According to official estimates, every year US$108 million is spent on printed documents, while it is estimated that 30% to 50% of Chilean government officials’ time is used to manage these documents, with an annual expenditure of US$1 billion in salaries.

“I believe that we are taking another step towards becoming a society that can legitimately aspire to leaving behind 200 years of underdevelopment, 200 years of poverty and 200 years of bureaucracy. We are entering the 21stcentury on the right foot, so that our fellow citizens will be able to lead fuller and happier lives, with a modern and efficient State at the service of all Chileans”, said the President,” said the President, who was accompanied by the Justice Minister, Hernán Larraín, and the Treasury Minister, Felipe Larraín.

During the event, the President also presented the Permanent Advisory Council for State Modernization, comprised of 12 prominent persons from different areas of the public and private sectors, which will be headed by former comptroller Ramiro Mendoza.

The purpose of the council is to advise the President on government reform, contributing a long-term vision, cross-cutting perspective, sense of urgency and continuity to the modernization process.

“Within the next 100 days this secretariat will have to present a plan to modernize the State. This is already underway, but we want to give it a cross-cutting and integral vision so that it reaches every corner of the State’s administration and civil society,” emphasized the President.

The Council is comprised of:

Ramiro Mendoza, chairman, former comptroller

Mauricio Duce, executive director of Espacio Público

Gloria de la Fuente, executive director of Chile 21

Luis Larraín, executive director of Libertad y Desarrollo

Leónidas Montes, director of CEP

Jeannette Von Wolffersdorff, director of the Santiago Stock Exchange

Javier Etcheverry, former minister

Beatriz Corbo, member of the ADP council

Claudio Muñoz, chairman of Telefónica and ICARE

Ignacio Irarrázaval, director of the UC Center for Public Policy

Mario Waissbluth, Educación 2020

Evelyn Matthei, mayor of Providencia

Salvador Valdés, member of UC Clapes