Sofia Municipality to Offer E-Services as of May 2013

Starting May 2013, citizens of Sofia will be able to take advantage of 50 services of the Sofia Municipality through the e-government system, according to Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski.

In a Monday interview for TV7, Moskovski explained that Sofianites would be able to access e-services through a special card featuring their digital signature and their digital uniform civil number (EGN).

Bulgaria's Minister of Transport, Information Technology, and Communications presented details about the implementation phase of the e-government project scheduled to be operational in the spring of 2013.

He said that the electronic card providing access to the e-services of the Sofia Municipality would cost BGN 20-30, adding that no free cards or reduced fares had yet been designed for the socially underprivileged.

Moskovski made clear that citizens would use the electronic card for identification at the e-government portal, after which they would be able to access all electronic services offered by the state and the municipalities.

"The certificates of birth, inheritance, payment of taxes and fees, change of site development plan, are all part of the pilot project for the territory of Sofia," he explained.

Bulgaria's Transport Minister emphasized that the special e-card would initially only provide access to e-services of the Sofia Municipality, adding that the e-services of institutions like the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) would be accessible after upgrades to their electronic systems.

Moskovski also informed that e-services would be paid for through debit or credit card.