Italy online - Government just one click away

Searching for information on line and fulfilling obligations by using the internet is now a daily practice for those wishing to access Italian government services. In the last few years, substantial resources have been dedicated to the technological development of the public sector, so that today Italy is at the forefront within Europe in this sector. Businesses have been the first to benefit from this development. Today it is not only possible to receive a great deal of information through the internet, but also many of the obligations imposed by law for the establishment and running of a business can be fulfilled on line.

In Italy, the public administration holds 29% of the total internet market share. Already in 2002, 90% of government offices used the internet as an information tool and a method of communication. In the same year, central government websites and those of non-economic public agencies received almost half a million requests and 100 million hits.

Government is the area with the highest rate of growth within the internet sector. Since 2002, it has obtained the best overall performance in terms of access (+ 15%) and average citizen access time (+ 58%). For example, the number of on line tax payments has increased six fold in one year. This phenomenon does not only involve central government, but also municipal and regional government. Almost all the Chambers of Commerce have experimented with systems of digital access for their users.