25% Finns may not ready for all-digital public services

One fourth of the Finnish population may not have sufficient capabilities for using all-digital public services, National Digital and Population Data Services Agency told national broadcaster Yle on Monday.

Besides, a research conducted by the University of Tampere last year indicated that nearly half of the Finns find digital banking and public services overwhelming. The challenged group comprised not only seniors but also young people.

However, the current government aims at making all public services available digitally on line by 2023. To further verify the situation, a nationwide survey would be conducted by the National Digital and Population Data Services Agency starting this month, Yle reported on Monday.

Minna Piirainen, the project manager at the agency, told Yle on Monday that no compulsory use of digital public services would be introduced in Finland "in the near future."

For several years already, the primary modes of filing the tax declaration or claiming the unemployment benefits has been the internet, although the paper alternatives are there. The medical histories and prescriptions of all Finns are in a national internet service, where each person can access his or her data and check prescriptions, for example. Obtaining the information on paper is possible, but takes a lot of extra work.

The fast digitalization has been acknowledged as an inequality problem as well. Consumer authorities have deplored that people who cannot use digital services often have to pay more, and spend more time to get a service.

Talking to Yle on Monday, Anja Peltonen, the director for consumer policy at the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority singled out that travelers get railroad tickets cheaper through the mobile application of the state railroads than at the ticket counter, for example. "In the retail sector best deals may be available with the dedicated apps only," she added.

The authority noted that the situation may improve when voice recognition develops when the mobile gadgets can understand more Finnish language.