TALLINN — Estonia’s Ministry of Social Affairs is going ahead with the digitalization of nearly all state records, but is not revealing the costs, potential savings, or other important details of the switch.

The new digital prescription system has had troubles, but regardless the ministry is pushing ahead with forgoing paper records for birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, which are scheduled to go [private_supervisor]paperless by July 1.

The switch has its benefits, primarily convenience. A person would no longer have to travel to the location where the document was originally issued to obtain a copy, but instead visit the local vital statistics department office. Simple A4 paper can be used for valid government documents instead of more expensive special colored prints, too.

“For the first time a person has a right to say if they do not want the printed document,” Kristel Tuul, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior told Baltic Reports.

Unanswered questions

While the ministry is eager to discuss the benefits of the move, basic information such as its cost and projected savings are not being released. Given the government’s austerity measures to meet the Maastricht criteria for eurozone entry, the financial facts of the digitalization program are especially pertinent.

“Digitalized data entry enables us to decrease paper consumption significantly, it saves people’s time and enables better service quality,” said Tuul. “I’ve got nothing more to add.”

In fact, not everyone in the government is so gung-ho about the program. In addition to not including risks such as data loss and tampering, Karin Kask, director of Tallinn’s vital statistics department said paper-based record-keeping is more dignified.

“I must admit that as an official it is hard for me to get used to those changes,” Kask told Baltic Reports. “I am a supporter of traditions, therefore I think that this certificate has its own value.”

Kask added that the certificate has an emotional value even if all the data lies in the computer, that the certificate is important for the person, who has it in their home and is proof of a certain event that is important to their life.[/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]paperless by July 1.

The switch has its benefits, primarily convenience. A person would no longer have to travel to the location where the document was originally issued to obtain a copy, but instead visit the local vital statistics department office. Simple A4 paper can be used for valid government documents instead of more expensive special colored prints, too.

“For the first time a person has a right to say if they do not want the printed document,” Kristel Tuul, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior told Baltic Reports.

Unanswered questions

While the ministry is eager to discuss the benefits of the move, basic information such as its cost and projected savings are not being released. Given the government’s austerity measures to meet the Maastricht criteria for eurozone entry, the financial facts of the digitalization program are especially pertinent.

“Digitalized data entry enables us to decrease paper consumption significantly, it saves people’s time and enables better service quality,” said Tuul. “I’ve got nothing more to add.”

In fact, not everyone in the government is so gung-ho about the program. In addition to not including risks such as data loss and tampering, Karin Kask, director of Tallinn’s vital statistics department said paper-based record-keeping is more dignified.

“I must admit that as an official it is hard for me to get used to those changes,” Kask told Baltic Reports. “I am a supporter of traditions, therefore I think that this certificate has its own value.”

Kask added that the certificate has an emotional value even if all the data lies in the computer, that the certificate is important for the person, who has it in their home and is proof of a certain event that is important to their life.[/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]paperless by July 1.

The switch has its benefits, primarily convenience. A person would no longer have to travel to the location where the document was originally issued to obtain a copy, but instead visit the local vital statistics department office. Simple A4 paper can be used for valid government documents instead of more expensive special colored prints, too.

“For the first time a person has a right to say if they do not want the printed document,” Kristel Tuul, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior told Baltic Reports.

Unanswered questions

While the ministry is eager to discuss the benefits of the move, basic information such as its cost and projected savings are not being released. Given the government’s austerity measures to meet the Maastricht criteria for eurozone entry, the financial facts of the digitalization program are especially pertinent.

“Digitalized data entry enables us to decrease paper consumption significantly, it saves people’s time and enables better service quality,” said Tuul. “I’ve got nothing more to add.”

In fact, not everyone in the government is so gung-ho about the program. In addition to not including risks such as data loss and tampering, Karin Kask, director of Tallinn’s vital statistics department said paper-based record-keeping is more dignified.

“I must admit that as an official it is hard for me to get used to those changes,” Kask told Baltic Reports. “I am a supporter of traditions, therefore I think that this certificate has its own value.”

Kask added that the certificate has an emotional value even if all the data lies in the computer, that the certificate is important for the person, who has it in their home and is proof of a certain event that is important to their life.[/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]paperless by July 1.

The switch has its benefits, primarily convenience. A person would no longer have to travel to the location where the document was originally issued to obtain a copy, but instead visit the local vital statistics department office. Simple A4 paper can be used for valid government documents instead of more expensive special colored prints, too.

“For the first time a person has a right to say if they do not want the printed document,” Kristel Tuul, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior told Baltic Reports.

Unanswered questions

While the ministry is eager to discuss the benefits of the move, basic information such as its cost and projected savings are not being released. Given the government’s austerity measures to meet the Maastricht criteria for eurozone entry, the financial facts of the digitalization program are especially pertinent.

“Digitalized data entry enables us to decrease paper consumption significantly, it saves people’s time and enables better service quality,” said Tuul. “I’ve got nothing more to add.”

In fact, not everyone in the government is so gung-ho about the program. In addition to not including risks such as data loss and tampering, Karin Kask, director of Tallinn’s vital statistics department said paper-based record-keeping is more dignified.

“I must admit that as an official it is hard for me to get used to those changes,” Kask told Baltic Reports. “I am a supporter of traditions, therefore I think that this certificate has its own value.”

Kask added that the certificate has an emotional value even if all the data lies in the computer, that the certificate is important for the person, who has it in their home and is proof of a certain event that is important to their life.[/private_subscription 1 year]

— This is a paid article. To subscribe or extend your subscription, click here.