site.btaSurvey: One in Three Bulgarians Learn about e-Services from Family and Friends

Nearly 30.5% of Bulgarians learn about available e-services from family and friends, said Sofia University Prof. Olya Harizanova on Tuesday.

She was speaking at a conference dedicated to labour, living standards and social stratification, organized by the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research with the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The presented data date from 2020 under a project for identifying the perceptions and assessments of citizens about the access, quality and use of public e-services, supported from the National Science Fund.

Some 40.8% of respondents said that they get information about available e-services from the websites of the very organizations. According to 80% of respondents, the information on the websites is visible and easy to locate.

According to the data, the largest share of respondents have filled and submitted their tax returns or social insurance contributions orders, at 41.8% and 33.8% respectively. Some 33.8 per cent receive online salaries, fees or pensions, and 23.2 per cent pay online their income taxes and insurance contributions. Some 22.4% pay property and car taxes and 18.2% pay their fines online.

Harizanova said that respondents expressed concerns that their personal data and money will be misused, that information is not credible and over the requirements for e-signature.

The share of Bulgarians with basic digital skills was unchanged from 2019 to 2021 at 29%, based on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), said Monika Moraliiska of the University of National and World Economy. According to her, Bulgaria has the largest share of women IT specialists in the EU at 28% compared with an average of 19%.