Digital Reach

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T HE BELGIAN FEDERAL Government’s computerization policy
consists of two pillars: classic e-government and the
computerization of society. Both are closely linked: devel-
oping e-government applications that allow for faster, more
efficient and simpler services is only relevant if enough people can
make use of them via their computers and through the Internet.
Belgium defines e-government as creating a more customer-
friendly public service by thoroughly and intelligently
computerizing the state. A public service that is ready to help
people and companies, a public service that works more efficiently
using the right ICT.
In order to truly implement e-government, the Belgian
Government has chosen a number of cornerstones, on the basis
of which concrete electronic applications can be developed for
citizens or companies. By using this method, there is no more
need to start every new application from scratch.
The fundamental cornerstones are Fedman, the secured network
linking all public services, the Universal Messaging Engine (UME),
which is responsible for bringing the right data to the right persons,
the federal Government’s portal, , and the elec-
tronic identity card.
From these cornerstones several e-government applications have
been developed in the past years. The electronic tax declaration
web site, is one of the first major applications
for Belgian citizens: the project started in 2003 and saw its number
of users grow from 80,000 to 600,000 in 2005. The federal public
service Justice has begun computerising its entire workload: all files
will be in electronic format and will be stored in a central manage-
ment system, enabling magistrates, lawyers and citizens to consult
these files much more rapidly. Be-health, the health care comput-
erization platform, will offer health care providers and patients alike
the opportunity to consult all information and use all applications
of the health care sector electronically.
Many other electronic applications are already available. These
include:
• Electronically applying for an automobile number plate
• Dimona: the immediate electronic declaration by the employer
of the beginning or end of an employment relationship
• The DMFA declaration enabling the electronic quarterly decla-
ration to the National Office for Social Security. It is currently
used by 230,000 employers for 3.8 million employees
• E-notification as part of e-procurement: companies can be
informed by mail about those public contracts that could be
of interest to them
• The Deus module for newly started companies, allowing the
companies of the hotel and catering industry to apply for the
necessary licences in a very rapid and efficient manner
• Intervat, which makes it possible for companies to send their
VAT declaration via the Internet on a monthly or quarterly basis.
EDIVAT is a nearly identical project but is meant for accoun-
tants, bookkeepers and tax specialists who submit periodic VAT
declarations on behalf of their clients
• Fisconet offers its users free access to a bilingual fiscal data-
base via the Internet
• The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO) enables putting the
identification data of enterprises at the disposal of all public
services in a uniform and centralised manner. An enterprise only
needs to submit its identification data to the authorities one
single time. Once the enterprise receives its identification
number, all it has to do is mention this number, after which the
public services will be able themselves to retrieve the necessary
identification data from the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises.
The electronic identity card
The electronic identity card is probably the true cornerstone
allowing for high quality e-government. With it, citizens and
companies have thoroughly secured access to the Government’s
electronic counter and to numerous data files or applications of
private organisations and companies.
Belgium is one of the first countries in the world to issue an
electronic identity card to all of its citizens. The country is also
How Belgium is computerizing
state and society
Peter Vanvelthoven, Minister of Employment for e-Government, Belgium
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