The authorities can simplify the method of obtaining the electronic signature for accessing the Cultural Voucher program. Obtaining electronic signatures by young people interested in this program should be free of charge. The Ministry of Culture could subsidize the costs for issuing the electronic signature provided by the Information Technology and Cybersecurity Service. This is recommended in an analytical note of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), IPN reports.
The note says that according to data provided by the Ministry of Culture, 10 million lei was initially allocated for 2023 from the state budget for this program, but the amount was later reduced to 4 million lei. For 2024, the allocation is also 10 million lei. Of these resources, 3 million lei was used last year, while 1 million lei was used in the first quarter of this year.
Although budgetary resources in 2023 were allocated to 10,000 potential beneficiaries, the beneficiaries numbered only 3,521. A visible increase was registered in the first quarter of this year, with 1,575 beneficiaries of the program being recorded by the end of March 2024 out of an estimated number of 2,500 potential beneficiaries.
The IPRE analysis shows that about 7% of the Moldovan citizens have a digital identity and can benefit from the opportunities this brings. However, when it comes to the rate of penetration of digital identity among young people aged between 18 and 35 in the Republic of Moldova, there is no systematized data in this regard.
In this connection, IPRE recommends promoting the Cultural Voucher program and digital identity in educational institutions and by conducting online campaigns, but also popularizing the Cultural Voucher program through the active involvement of the Ministry of Education and local culture and education divisions. The resources available to local culture and education divisions should be concentrated on promoting this program. At the same time, the local education divisions could monitor the access rate of the program in educational institutions and communicate this data periodically to government authorities.
According to IPRE, the number of suppliers of cultural products and private ticket sale platforms should be increased by offering concessions for products sold/purchased within the program.
