The Solothurn Cantonal Council approved the “SO!Digital impulse program” with a large majority. This means that the canton can use CHF 10.6 million for the digital transformation of the administration over the next three years and create 20 new jobs.
With the digitization strategy that has now been decided, there is a “concrete implementation path that is tailor-made for the canton of Solothurn” for the journey into the digital future, the government council wrote in the message on the template.
promote the abolition of paper
“Digitization is coming,” said cantonal councilor David Häner (FDP) as spokesman for the special commission on digitization. It is better to actively help shape it and to promote “the abolition of paper in administration”. The digital transformation is a core concern of his party, emphasized Christian Ginsig on behalf of the GLP parliamentary group.
“The time is ripe, overripe,” said Markus Ammann from the SP faction. Anna Engeler from the Greens said it was “an investment” and better than having to “take quick shots under pressure from the federal government” later. Benjamin von Däniken (centre) described the goals as ambitious. It is important to start now.
SVP warns of high costs
“The costs will fly in our face,” warned Matthias Borner (SVP). His group demands “less marketing, but more implementation” and will therefore reject the second, more far-reaching decision.
In the vote, the first draft resolution was accepted with 91 yes votes to 5 votes against from the SVP. In a first step, the cantonal council has approved costs of 6.3 million francs and 1.9 million francs for the implementation of the stimulus program.
New positions for competence center and departments
The second draft resolution with a loan of CHF 2.44 million was also accepted by the SVP with 76 votes to 19. 5.8 full-time positions will be created in the digital administration competence center. 14.7 full-time positions are planned in the departments, the State Chancellery and the courts.
To finance these 20.5 additional full-time positions, an annual recurring CHF 3.5 million is also expected.
This paves the way for supplementing existing offers such as electronic relocation notifications or online ordering of a debt enforcement register extract with additional digital services. The government council wrote in its message that the administration wanted to “rethink” and promote the digital public service in the canton. The stimulus program, which will start in 2023, is initially planned for three years.
