Using digital technologies, governments can deliver a wide variety of public services – even services that are not currently provided in any form – widely, efficiently, and at a low cost. A new report highlights the most promising policy options in areas ranging from education and health to fiscal matters and public administration.
WASHINGTON, DC – The barriers to economic progress in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are as well-known as they are formidable. Inequality is high, tax evasion is rampant, and education systems are inadequate. Poverty and extreme poverty are widespread, especially in the wake of the pandemic. And the public subsidies that could support the most vulnerable are poorly targeted, undermining their effectiveness.
Overcoming these barriers will require the construction of stable institutions and world-class infrastructure – a difficult feat that demands considerable time, investment, and will. But there is one relatively smooth path to progress: the digitalization of public services.
Today, nearly three-quarters of the LAC population use the internet. The region has embraced smartphones, with more than two-thirds of Latin Americans now connected to a mobile network. Access is uneven, with low-income and rural households lagging behind high-income and urban households, but governments have been working hard to close the gap, especially since the pandemic highlighted the internet’s role as an essential service.
WASHINGTON, DC – The barriers to economic progress in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are as well-known as they are formidable. Inequality is high, tax evasion is rampant, and education systems are inadequate. Poverty and extreme poverty are widespread, especially in the wake of the pandemic. And the public subsidies that could support the most vulnerable are poorly targeted, undermining their effectiveness.
Overcoming these barriers will require the construction of stable institutions and world-class infrastructure – a difficult feat that demands considerable time, investment, and will. But there is one relatively smooth path to progress: the digitalization of public services.
Today, nearly three-quarters of the LAC population use the internet. The region has embraced smartphones, with more than two-thirds of Latin Americans now connected to a mobile network. Access is uneven, with low-income and rural households lagging behind high-income and urban households, but governments have been working hard to close the gap, especially since the pandemic highlighted the internet’s role as an essential service.