In a few days, citizens will be able to access the platform to select the digits of their personal number for the new identity cards. This announcement was made by the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, during a radio broadcast on SKAI 100.3.
He explained, “myinfo is the platform where we will enter to choose the personal number – it will be three numerical digits plus our VAT number, and we select two of the three digits. Importantly, alongside the new identity, in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizen Protection, we are introducing a stronger authentication method by providing new codes (for those who wish to have them), while those who prefer to keep their old codes can do so, enabling us to move towards a much safer digital world.”
Additionally, the minister noted that a week from next Tuesday, insurance information will be added to the gov wallet, alongside other documents (identity card, driver’s license, disability card, etc.), including information and the health book of the dominant animal.
Regarding the submission of a file with data (degrees, work experience, etc.) to ASEP, Mr. Papastergiou mentioned that data extraction will be done automatically through digitization.
He also pointed out that the digital identity is not valid outside of Greece because “there is still no common European protocol,” but noted that there are discussions with Cyprus to validate digital identities between the two countries.
Concerning postal voting, he said, “The effort was successful; a vote is not just a ballot box and a screen. We should think carefully about the next steps, which will be digital. From now on, we need to evaluate the first attempt at remote voting and act accordingly. I think it’s impossible to do so many things digitally and not vote digitally.”
Referring to the platform, he emphasized that “we wanted to make it more transparent, clear, and interoperable. However, creating it requires effort not only from the state but also from the market and financial institutions.” Therefore, until December, citizens who need to submit their identity cards will follow the old procedure.
The minister also spoke at length about the use of AI in health, stating, “We are running a program with the Ministry of Health related to the digitization of data and the homogenization of systems.” In the field of justice, digitization of files is needed. “Now that the media is available, AI is a very important tool.” Finally, regarding the internet, Mr. Papastergiou emphasized, “We must achieve better quality in fixed telephony and greater competitiveness in mobile services, while infrastructure in fixed telephony must be developed to achieve speeds similar to the European average.”
