El Salvador digital plan gets push from COVID-19

Salvadoran lawmakers in the senate's economic commission will discuss on April 28 the final details of a digital inclusion law to enshrine internet access as a human right, establish a digital economy, and create a unique identity number (NUI) and e-wallet for every citizen.

The bill forms part of several digital policies on the senate’s agenda this year and is in line with the government's 2020-30 digital agenda. It has gained urgency due to the coronavirus pandemic which has exposed the country’s digital flaws, according to the legislative assembly's news service.

Other policies under discussion include the approval of online signatures, the regulation of e-commerce and a personal data protection act.

Also, lawmakers could pass a law to allow online voting for citizens that live abroad and a telecommuting law.

DIGITAL AGENDA

The innovation ministry presented in January a 10-year plan with four pillars.

The first relates to eliminating physical documents, establishing an online signature system and strengthening the identity registry, including a unique number for every citizen. The proposal also considers easier data exchange and services digitization.

A second objective is to improve education, innovation and entrepreneurship by deploying more telecom infrastructure. This would also cover fintech and smart cities promotion, plus an e-economy with an e-wallet for every citizen.

The plan would also facilitate digitization of public procedures and the creation of a transparency unit.

And last, cybersecurity and privacy laws would be strengthened.

According to officials, about 41% of El Salvador's population is disconnected.

In a recent report, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) wrote that Central America “lags behind the developed economies and Latin America in terms of digital services and the digital economy.”

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