5x
Business creation
accelerated
accelerated
Lower costs for business,
more revenues for government
more revenues for government
Increased capacity of civil servants
to digitalize services
to digitalize services
Government services direct
to vulnerable communities
to vulnerable communities
Business Facilitation Map
Digital information portals
Digital single windows
Trade information portals
Password protected systems are under development.
reduction of business
registration steps,
forms and documents
4000+
procedures
documented
online
94
Systems
implemented in
57
Economies
reduction of business
registration steps,
forms and documents
4000+
procedures
documented
online
94
Systems
implemented in
57
Economies
reduction of business
registration steps,
forms and documents
4000+
procedures
documented
online
94
Systems
implemented in
57
Economies
reduction of business
registration steps,
forms and documents
4000+
procedures
documented
online
94
Systems
implemented in
57
Economies
What digitalization using our system means
For businesses
- Businesses created and operating permits obtained in hours
- Greater formalisation of economic activities
- Shift to a digital business environment
- Easy registration means access to bank accounts, loans and insurance
For citizens
- More women and young people get the documents they need
- More employees brought under social security cover
- Rural and remote regions connected to government services
- More young people opening businesses
For governments
- Faster and more efficient administrations
- Revenue growth from more fees, taxes and social security contributions
- Greater capacity of civil servants to digitalize additional services
- Employee satisfaction as tasks shift from form filling to client advice
Examples of impact
Fast
Two hours to start a business, a world record.
Accessible
48% of entrepreneurs under 30, one third women and 50% outside capital.
Boosts MSMEs
Number of business registrations doubled within two years
Fast
Less than a minute to register a sole-trader business
Simple
Civil servants able to add new procedures themselves
Gender Impact
52% of registered businesses owned by women
Flexible
Connects with existing X-road and ID card systems
Adaptable
New procedures added with no prior IT knowledge
Deployable
Plans to deploy platform across other government agencies
Popular
New companies created every year doubled
Socially inclusive
Employees registering for social security +25%
Accessible
56% of online applicants for Covid business assistance are women.
Simple
From 35 steps to 5 steps
Popular
Online business registrations increased 5x within a year
Political support
Based on success, government plans to expand to 14 provinces and 50 services
Boosts MSMEs
25,000 new businesses registered in 3 pilot provinces.
Simple
Documents required for submission cut by 70%
Fast
Time to get authorizations cut by 80%
Revenue generating
Immediate increase in fee revenue for government
Productivity boosting
Officials report less time filling forms, more time advising users
Political support
Government to roll out system for all business licensing needs
Widely used
10,000 visitors a month.
Universal
Covers 1,000 export and import procedures.
Cuts SME export bill
Steps and time halved to register coffee consignments, costs cut by $230.
Simple
Steps to set up a company reduced by a third and documents cut 20%
Political support
Portal is being upgraded to a digital single window
Fully virtual installation
Installed in midst of Covid and civil war
Our approach
We help governments replace complex paper-based procedures involving multiple government offices with our simple online platform accessible from any device. More citizens and businesses get the services and authorizations they need anytime, anywhere.
We train government staff to see procedures from the user's perspective, simplify them, place them on our no-code online platform and train their colleagues to do the same so their governments progressively go fully digital.
1
See it from the user’s perspective
Starting with one procedure, we first map the journey from start to finish as the user experiences it, and break it down to its constituent steps and information requirements. The journey may combine several institutions.
2
Simplify
We examine with the government how to reduce the number of steps, and quantity and complication of document requirements for each step.
3
Create a prototype online procedure
We train government officers to create a prototype online procedure using our no-code digital government training platform.
4
Install and operate
We transfer the procedure to an installed system and make it operational.
We act on requests from national, provincial and municipal authorities.
Our project team works with government officials and local consultants to map, simplify and automate procedures, and then train officials to use and further develop the platform. We also operate with implementation partners such as the International Trade Centre and UNITAR.
It’s easier than you think to go digital. Steer clear of costly and lengthy consultant firms’ feasibility reports. Contact us and you can start seeing results within months.
Make your government digital
Government of Estonia
Media
Bhutan's entrepreneurs can now open a business in under a minute
A new government platform using UNCTAD's online single window technology powers business registration in record time, supporting livelihoods during the COVID-19 crisis.
Brexit shows why traders need reliable information
By Ian Richards, Economist, UNCTAD
UNCTAD platform powers registration of over 25,000 businesses in Cameroon
By entering the formal market, Cameroonian businesses and their employees may gain access to loans, insurance and legal protection even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
How the UN helped Benin become the world’s fastest place to start a business on a mobile phone
By Ian Richards, Economist, UNCTAD
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