Luís Goes Pinheiro Chief of Staff - Office of the Secretary of State for Administrative Modernisation

Beirut,11th March 2010

One Stop Shop

Easier, Faster and Cheaper

The Portuguese Experience

About us

The Office of the Secretary of State for Administrative

Modernisation is placed in the centre of the Government

(Presidency of the Council of Ministers) and comes under

the direct authority of the Portuguese Minister of the

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Its main goals are to promote cooperation between all

bodies involved in modernising public services and to

oversee the implementation of modernisation and

simplification initiatives

Why?

Better business environment– to improve the

competitiveness of Portuguese companies and to attract

foreign investors;

Improve citizens' life – Citizens became more

demanding and want more for the same price;

Reduce costs – The financial constraints forced the

Administration to be more efficient and to eliminate

useless tasks.

+

SIMPLEX:

A program that joins e-government

and cutting red tape initiatives

SIMPLEX:

A program based on cross-department

and multi-level collaboration

Making life easier for citizens and businesses

Making public services more efficient (by eliminating

unnecessary tasks) and accountable

Simplifying laws and procedures so as to make them more

transparent and less bureaucratic

Making administrative burdens proportional to risk

Promoting public participation (Suggestions’ box; diga-

simplex@blogspot.com; Simplex Idea Award)

Simplex: main goals

4 years, 4 programs

More than 730 initiatives

implemented from all government

departments

SIMPLEX for central and local government

Main outcomes

2 years, 2 programs

438 initiatives from 60

municipalities

One Stop Shop

The Portuguese Experience

An integrated multi-channel model for

delivering public services

The face-to-face channel:

Citizen’s Shops

The face-to-face channel:

Citizen’s Shops

• The Citizen’s Shops deliver a wide range of

face-to-face services for citizens in one place

(Shopping center model);

• Services are from different levels of

government (central and local);

• Both public and private sectors services.

• More than 80 Million people served.

The face-to-face channel:

Citizen’s Shops

The face-to-face channel:

Business’ Shops

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

Business’ Shops

• The same concept of the Citizen’s Shop. The “Business’

Shops” provide public and private services for businesses;

• They cover the business lifecycle: starting a business;

managing business activities; expanding a business;

closing or selling a business.

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

Business’ Shops

The face-to-face channel:

Citizen’s and Business’ Shops evolution

1999: First Citizen Shop

opened

Today: 20 Citizen’s Shops; 10

from the 2nd Generation

(19 more until the end of the

year)

1997: First Business’ Shop

opened

Today: 10 Business’ Shops

• Central government services: • Taxes;

• Social security;

• Registries (land, business, vehicle, civil);

• Health care;

• Labour;

• Immigration;

• Licences and permits from several departments.

The face-to-face channel: Services available at Citizen’s and Business’

Shops

• Local government services: • Municipal licences;

• Municipal water supply services.

• Private services: • Banks;

• Utilities;

• Mobile phone;

• Postal services;

• Cable TV.

The face-to-face channel: Services available at Citizen’s and Business’

Shops

More One Stop Shops

The face-to-face channel:

Multi-services counter

It is used for services with a low level of specialisation that can be

provided in a single, quick interaction with the same person (Social

security services – such as retirement benefits; Health care services

– enrolment in local health centres; Drivers license renewal)

The face-to-face channel:

Multi-services counter

The “integrated counters” offer services organised according to

people’s and companies’ daily life events:

Replacing lost documents;

Buying or selling a home;

Creating a new company;

Creating an association;

Birth registration at the hospital;

Inheritance.

The face-to-face channel:

Integrated services

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“On the Spot Firm” service

Launched in 2005, this service enables entrepreneurs to set up

a company – private limited companies, joint-stock companies or

single shareholder limited liability company – at a single contact

point and in less than one hour (in average it takes 35

minutes), without filling any application form.

All the information is internally exchanged among the public

services involved (registry, social security, tax, economy).

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“On the Spot Firm” service

ONLY 3 STEPS TO CREATE A COMPANY

1. Choose a name from a list of pre-approved company names

reserved by the National Registry of Firms (RNPC) on behalf

of the State (the list is available on the “On the Spot Firm”

website, www.empresanahora.mj.pt, or at any “On the Spot

Firm” desk).

2. Choose one of the pre-approved standard memorandum and

articles of association packs (also available on the website or

at the desk).

3. Register the company at any “On the Spot Firm” desk.

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“On the Spot Firm” service

MORE CONVENIENT, CHEAPER AND INNOVATIVE

More convenient: all the process is completed with one

visit to a single contact point.

Cheaper: around 360 Euros + stamp duty – less 30%

than the traditional service.

Innovative: An e-mail address and Web Site – free of

charges during the company’s first year – will be

immediately provided.

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“On the Spot Firm” service

The complete process takes on average 35 minutes.

Whereas before 2005: it took approximately one month;

In the past few years, 70% of all new companies created

used this fast track procedure;

More than 87.000 firms have already been created through

this system. (more than 50% were created at the business’ shops)

Around 16 Million Euros is the amount saved by companies with

this project. (Standard Cost Model – Methodology adopted by the

European Commission to evaluate the administrative burdens).

80 positions

Easiness of doing

business (global

rank)

45

2006

1. Starting a

business 113

2007

40

33

5 positions

• First place in the European Enterprise Award for “red tape

reduction”, in a competition held by the European Commission, which

has brought together hundreds of participants from different European

countries.

• «Portugal was the top reformer in business entry in 2005/06.»

(World Bank, Doing Business 2007) .

The face-to-face channel:

“On the Spot Firm” service International evaluation

• The “One Stop House” service enables citizens and

businesses to complete all the procedures related to

buying or selling a home at a single counter.

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“One Stop House” service

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“One Stop House” service

• Since July 2007 it is possible to perform immediately all transactions

related to real estate transfer or assignment, at a single service point:

• To buy & sell or mortgage real estate (urban buildings),

among others;

• To pay all related taxes and duties and request exemption

from the Municipal Property Tax (IMI);

• Sign the sale or assignment contract or their mortgage.

• 100.000 procedures already completed trough

this system.

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“One Stop House” service

• Public:

• Registries offices;

• Citizen’s and Business’ Shops.

• Private:

• Banks;

• Real estate agents association.

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The face-to-face channel:

“One Stop House” service International evaluation

• «Portugal was top reformer in the ease of

registering property.» (World Bank, Doing Business

2010);

Registering

Property (rank) 82

2009

Time (days) 42

2010

52

12

30 positions

-30 days

www.portaldocidadao.pt

The WEB Channel:

Citizen's PORTAL

• Around 1000 services from more than 160 public and

private bodies;

• More than 375.000 registered users;

• Average of 3,5 millions page views per month;

• Since February 2005 it has offered SMS-based services.

The WEB Channel:

Citizen's PORTAL

www.portaldaempresa.pt

The Web channel:

Business’s PORTAL

• More than 500 services from more than 100 public

bodies

• The business Portal provides informational and

transactional services covering the business lifecycle:

• Starting a business

• Managing business activities

• Expanding a business

• Closing or Selling a business

The Web channel:

Business’s PORTAL

Since July 2006, it is possible to set up a company

completely online trough the Business’ Portal

(www.empresaonline.pt)

This service can be used by lawyers, solicitors,

notaries as well as any person who holds a digital

certificate (as the one that the Portuguese citizens

have in their ID card – the Citizen’s Card).

The Web channel:

“Online Firm” service

More than 10.000 companies have already

been created trough this system

32,6 firms are created on-line per day

(February 2010)

More than 20 Million Euros saved by

companies with this project. (Standard Cost

Model)

The Web channel:

“Online Firm” service

Since December 2006, it is possible to request on-line

companies’ acts, avoiding travel costs.

Up until February 2010 more than 30.000 company acts were

performed over the Internet.

Permanent certificate: online company registry constantly

updated and available at the Business’ Portal (Portuguese and

English). More than 1 Million issued.

More than 40 Million Euros saved (SCM).

The Web channel:

Online companies’ registry

Financial statements and statistics

• Companies can now submit their annual accounting,

statistical, tax and financial information to 4 different public

services by using a single online form available at the

Business’ Portal.

• More than 1.100.000 simplified enterprise information

statements were delivered since 2007.

•More than 5 Million Euros saved by companies with this project.

(SCM)

The Web channel:

Online companies’ registry

The Web channel:

Online Simulator for permits related

to industrial activities

It enables businesses:

• To get in advance the relevant information for

licensing (deadlines, taxes, etc.);

• To simulate all stages of the procedure;

• To request the permit and also to follow-up its

progress.

The Web channel:

Online Simulator for permits related

to industrial activities

The Web channel:

Licences Catalogue

• Now: Licences organized by activity:

• Agriculture and Environment; • Commerce and services; • Construction and real estate; • Energy; • Events, shows and sports; • Street market; • Industry; • Professions; • Restaurants; • Transportation; • Tourism; •…

The Web channel:

Licences Catalogue

• Future:

•To simulate all stages of the procedure;

• To request the license and also to follow-up

its progress.

The Web channel:

Licences Catalogue

Portugal is Number 1 at

the most recent EU27+

European Ranking, in

Availability and

Sophistication indicators for

online public services

Online services:

Portuguese evaluation

Replaces 5 cards:

•ID card

•Taxpayer card

•Social Security card

•Health Care card

•Voter card

The new Portuguese document of identification identifies citizens both

visually and physically, due to its biometrical data. It allows its owner

not only to identify himself both visually and electronically but also

to sign documents electronically

The Citizen’s Card:

A driver to develop integrated electronic

services

Online public and private services for

citizens and business • Start up a business on-line on the

Business Portal

• Change address

• Apply for industrial licensing

• Complain to authorities

• Buy and Sell a car

• University applications

• Unemployment benefits request

• Start the marriage process

• Open a bank account

The Citizen’s Card:

A driver to develop integrated electronic

services

The face-to-face channel: Citizen’s Shops The Citizen’s Card:

A driver to develop

cross-border electronic services

With the Citizen Card It’s already possible to create a firm in Estonia

from Portugal and vice-versa.

In the short run, the Citizen’s Card will enable Portuguese businesses, working

at the building industry in Spain, to register their employees online.

Spanish citizens will be able to create a company online in Portugal

The Citizen’s Card:

A driver to develop

cross-border electronic services

Other channels:

Mixed channel – assisted self-service kiosks

The “assisted self-service kiosks” provide access to online

services with a member of staff’s assistance.

• Introduction of one single telephone number to contact the main public services;

• Services for mobile phones

• SMS with warnings.

Other channels:

Phone

• The ATM network is being used to access public and private services.

• Paying services: Taxes; Judicial fees; pre-paid mobile phones; train tickets, ...

• Demand, renew and pay fishermen and hunter's licences

Other channels:

ATM

Luís Goes Pinheiro Chief of Staff – Office of the Secretary of State for Administrative Modernisation

Beirut,11th March 2010

One Stop Shop

Easier, Faster and Cheaper

The Portuguese Experience