Bulgaria's state bodies must catch up with companies in technology if the country wants to go digital faster, innovation and digital transformation minister Ivan Vasilev told the Sofia Economic Forum. He said the state will have its own digital ID and its own digital wallet by the end of the year.
The seventh forum is taking place at the Sofia Balkan Palace hotel in the capital. Vasilev spoke about using artificial intelligence in economic policy. The state cannot ask the private sector to modernise while it fails to modernise itself and keeps getting in the way of growth, the minister said.
Staff at the ministry already use artificial intelligence in their daily work, and Vasilev urged other institutions to do the same. He said digital government brings openness and makes economic sense. "Our ambition for e-government is to make the administration invisible to citizens and to business," he said.
The public sector itself should be the first customer for new solutions, the minister said. That takes clearly stated needs, measurable results and fair competition. Trust depends on clear responsibility for decisions and proper data protection.
The ministry's main goal, which Vasilev has stated before, is for Bulgaria to become the best place to start and grow a high-value business by 2030. He said this needs two things: the country must give people with ideas a chance, and public services must be fast, simple and easy for citizens and business to use.
"The working-age population in Bulgaria will shrink over the coming decades," the minister said. With fewer people in work, the economy can grow in two ways: by drawing in more people, or by helping each worker produce more. Vasilev said both are needed today.
He said the value of artificial intelligence will be measured by changes in the real economy. He gave three examples: whether factories cut production waste, whether a small firm serves more customers with the same staff, and whether public services save citizens time.
An advisory Council for Innovation and Technology Development was recently set up under the minister. It reports directly to the prime minister. Its aim is to cut and remove red tape that holds back innovative business. The minister named work on regulatory sandboxes for artificial intelligence and robotics as a priority.