Finance minister shows off e-portfolio

RIGA - Latvian Finance Minister Gundars Berzins, who last week announced he would attend all his meetings with his laptop to implement an "e-government" concept, demonstrated his e-portfolio to fellow ministers and reporters on Jan. 22.

The portfolio, designed by a ministry expert, operates in the Finance Ministry portal. Only five people have access to the portfolio - Berzins himself, his adviser, his deputy and the state secretary, as well as a staffer responsible for the technical editing.

"In fact it's very convenient," said Berzins, who no longer carries paper documents.

His e-portfolio contains all matters on the Cabinet agenda complete with additional information, protocols and ministry opinions. The software allows him to adjust the data himself.

A visual presentation of the national budget is also available at all times from the minister's tip-top laptop.

Berzins will also be able to find in his portfolio daily ministry reports, access the latest news and log in to other information he may need in his work.

"I'm in information space," rejoiced Berzins.

Regretfully, he admitted that some documents still cannot be accessed in electronic form.

According to him, the state chancellery is now working on a joint e-government system to make the whole Cabinet's work easier through the use of a common network. Berzins said he would start carrying a laptop to Cabinet meetings to bring to life the idea about the formation of e-government.

"After all, this is the 21st century. We should stop this archaic carrying of documents," he said.

Latvia's Baltic neighbor Estonia has already introduced the concept of e-government, but the Latvian Parliament has not adopted legislation granting legal force to electronic documents and signatures that would give the go-ahead to e-government reform.

Broad use of electronic documents is expected to speed up the work of state institutions, as well as simplify communication with the public.