Ministerial working group to develop digital transformation, data economy and public administration

Press release of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport and Communications

On 2 September 2021, the Government appointed a ministerial working group to develop digital transformation, data economy and public administration. The group will be responsible for guiding and directing the development of public administration, the digital transformation, the data economy and information policy.

It will guide the development of digitalisation, information and technology policy and the data economy at the Government level and will coordinate activities and situational awareness related to them. The ministerial working group will continue to promote the work assigned to the political management group for public governance reform. It will coordinate the development projects and draw up the necessary policy guidelines on the key measures to develop the sector.

The ministerial working group will be chaired by Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero in matters concerning public administration. In other matters, Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka will serve as Chair until the end of March 2022, followed by Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä until the end of September 2022. After this, Minister Paatero will serve as the only Chair for the remainder of the term.

The other members of the group will be Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko, Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen, and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen.

"Development of public administration goes hand in hand with the development of digitalisation. Our aim is to strengthen the cooperation between administrative branches and so promote the introduction of electronic services. By bringing together the services of different agencies and the different forms of service transactions we can ensure accessible and well-functioning public services for all," says Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero.

"Cooperation is the only way to provide a favourable environment for broad-based utilisation of digitalisation in society and to offer the tools for using the data across sectors, organisations and borders. The new ministerial working group will act to promote this goal," says Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.

"I see it as essential that the Finnish digital society and Finland's competitiveness will continue to be improved in close cooperation with business and industry, regions and the third sector," Minister Harakka says.

What's next?

The Government plenary session will later appoint the general secretaries for the ministerial working group from the ministries responsible for chairing the group.

Inquiries:

Valtteri Aaltonen, Special Adviser to Minister Paatero, tel. +358 295 530 399

Laura Eiro, Director General, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 400 969 293

Maria Rautavirta, Director of Unit, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 40 718 5975