site.btaInterior Minister: Information Is Future's Most Valuable Resource that People Should Benefit from

Interior Minister: Information Is Future's Most Valuable Resource that People Should Benefit from

Sofia, May 10 (BTA) - "Information is the most valuable resource the future holds and we would like people to benefit from it," said here on Tuesday Deputy Prime Minister for Coalition Policy and Public Administration and Minister of Interior Rumiana Bachvarova at the opening of a conference dubbed "Data's Choice - a Year Later".

Bulgaria's progress in the past year in the field of open data and the measures in the process of implementation were presented during the forum, which is organized by Buchvarova's team. The participants presented data on crime dynamics and clearance rates, as well as the results of State matriculation exams. The event also focused on the process of providing machine-readable datasets in an accessible way. 

A total of 177 datasets have been published on the machine-readable open data portal, with an additional 304 to be made accessible by this year's end. The use of datasets allows for knowledge synthesis in the decision making process and governance, Buchvarova explained. Bulgaria already ranks among the first countries in the EU and the world, which use open data, the Interior Minister said. "Our task is to make more people use these datasets," she said.

Buchvarova's Chef de Cabinet, Anton Gerounov, said that the introduction of open data allows the National Health Insurance Fund to save a few dozen million leva from the purchase of generic, instead of brand name medicines. At least 154 million leva of direct benefits to Bulgaria are expected from opening the databases by 2020. The EU's expected benefits are estimated at 76 billion euro by 2020, he added. Only four per cent of the services offered by the administration are a priority for becoming electronic, as the public is most interested in them, Gerounov explained. The open data portal under the Council of Ministers is currently accessible from 126 countries. There are an average of 5,200 monthly visits, 25 per cent of which are by regular users, he noted.