The citizen shops in Portugal – making e-Government a physical and human reality

Remarkable innovation and feedback

Des boutiques du citoyen qui ressemblent à des galeries marchandes en vogueThe “citizen shops” come under the institute for the management of citizen shops, a public administrative institute that is financially autonomous. It is placed under the authority of the Ministry of Finance.
The “citizen shops” are completed by “information stations” (“postos de atendimiento” or PAC) whose role is to provide information at the request of users.
 

The diversity of public bodies collaborating and participating in the services provided by public-service houses is a reflection of the global approach used. This covers the directorate general for social protection, civil servants, public agents, general pension funds, the directorate general for legal services which issues civil status certificates and extracts, the general inspectorate of economic activities and the directorate general for taxes (over 50 bodies are included). There are also relays from the Ministry of Health, the Post Office, the railways and the national tourism agency.
 

Counters for companies and notaries are featured. Private structures such as banks and telecommunication services are also involved. In addition, the “citizen shops” issue official documents: passports, identity cards and driving licenses in particular.
 

The “entrepreneurship counters” provide information and advice for any new business and the use of more general counters enables all administrative obligations and procedures for the allocation of aids and subsidies to be carried out.


 

e-Government is too conceptual!
Concrete reference points are needed first to build trust.

The citizen shops (Lojas do Cidadao) are a new general interest concept. The aim is to concentrate the main public services in the same location, in what resembles more a supermarket than an administrative office.
 

One of the main shops in Lisbon is over 10,000 m2 on two floors connected by escalators and conveyor belts. A stylish building with 90 counters spread out and organized by type of activity, more reminiscent of luxury department stores in Paris, than a super post office.