Recently, a friend lost his job due to a business restructuring. He updated his resume, and among the job opportunities he is applying for, he was asked for his criminal and police records. In 2016, due to the high demand for this service, he spent about four hours completing each procedure, facing lines that stretched for blocks. Although this process has improved over time, we still face a harsh truth: poorly managed bureaucracy robs us of our most valuable and irretrievable asset—time.
As a country, we have made strides in our fight against corruption, but we must also address other inefficiencies. At that time, I thought, “This background check process should be simple with the implementation of a digital signature. We should be able to upload our identification document on the Ministry of the Interior’s website, make the payment online, and print the document with an electronic signature.” Consequently, employers seeking a candidate’s background could verify its authenticity on the Ministry’s website using the certificate code.
Taking a process that used to take four hours and reducing it to four minutes is just one example of many that can be simplified. The Tax Administration Superintendence (SAT) took a step forward by allowing the digital generation of vehicle tax stickers. A fundamental principle that government entities must adopt is not to request information they already possess. For example, when conducting a procedure, we are asked for a copy of our ID, a copy of the business license, tax clearance—information that the government already has in its databases. The problem is that this data is not centralized. However, with information technology, this centralization can be achieved nationwide, turning processes that take hours into minutes. This also impacts the optimization of transportation costs, particularly for procedures that can only be completed in the Capital City. Furthermore, it would enable 24/7 service, eliminate intermediaries, and reduce additional costs that undermine the transparency of the process.
Governments can invest in digital interconnection between institutions through the Internet, facilitating data flow, reducing paper use, and ensuring security, trust, and ease of access to the system that stores all this information. This Digital Transformation also involves a crucial component within the Legal Framework, where the role of lawyers is vital to ensuring the legitimacy of these digital processes. This change should start in academia, incorporating information technology courses into the Law curriculum and offering courses on applying computer science to optimize government administration.
Now that we have become aware of the social power to drive change, let us join forces to help our authorities improve public services, making our lives as citizens easier and maximizing the value of our tax contributions.
