Digital Single Windows

Administrative procedures are placed online and automated
Simple or complex procedures involving one or more government departments (such as creating a business) can be placed online and automated.

Users benefit from a simple, mobile interface
Government procedures become more accessible to the poor, women, youth and rural populations. Costs to business decrease, economic formalization increases.
High income and lower costs for governments
The upfront investment pays for itself within two years as more users increase fee income. Government staff are freed from administrative tasks to spend more time advising clients.
Why it matters
Digital single windows respond to demands from citizens and entrepreneurs for better quality government services that are simple and online. They can be installed at the municipal, national or supra-national levels and are telework-enabled.
By making government services, such as business registration, easy and affordable, they significantly increase formal MSME creation, particularly among women, young and rural entrepreneurs. It also increases tax revenue and social security coverage.
Case study
Starting a business in Benin

Before

Before eRegistrations was installed

Today

Today with the Benin digital single window, marketed by APIEx as monentreprise.bj
Queue at the APIEx development agency, fill in 5 paper forms and hand in up to 12 documents, including prior notarized copies.
Use any mobile phone to fill in an online form and scan 3 to 5 documents.
Pay fee by cash after queuing at the bank.
Use the same mobile to pay the fee with mobile money or credit card.
Collect certificates 5 days later from APIEx.
Receive certificates 2 hours later by email (fastest in the world).
28,800 companies registered in 2019
Company registration doubled in the two years following installation, one third by women, half by under 30s, half from outside the capital city. Project costs covered by additional fees.
Advantages
  • Business and citizens can more easily access government services, formalizing economic activity, helping MSMEs grow and increasing economic resilience.
  • Governments can make their services easily accessible, increase fee income and tax revenue, and redeploy staff to more productive work.
Beneficiaries

Digital Single Windows are available to any government and can be implemented within existing laws.

Countries
Installation process
STEP 1
Analysis
The project team analyses with government officials every element of an administrative procedure (laws and rules, information needs, document requirements, fees, certificates, roles of different agencies and officials) (2-3 weeks).
STEP 2
Development
The project team develops the country platform (1 month concurrently).
STEP 3
Implementation
The project team creates online procedures on the platform (2 days to one week for each procedure depending on complexity and number of agencies involved).
STEP 4
Training
The project team trains government staff to operate and maintain the system (12 months).
Further work can be undertaken to simplify procedures and government systems
STEP 5
Simplification
The project team assist governments on rapidly implementing simplification measures (2-6 months).
STEP 6
Adaptation
The project team adapt or expand existing systems according to the new simplification measures (2-10 months, concurrently).