OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2012. The latest DNB Latvian Barometer study has focused on the views of local residents about E-services, given experience with the introduction of such services in Latvia over the past several years and recently heard public views about plans to introduce a new ID document for the country’s residents, reported the press-centre of DNB.

More than one-half of residents have used E-services during the past year, most often by making payments via Internet banks or shopping on the Internet.  Still, a significant segment of respondents say that not everyone in Latvia has Internet access, not all of the desirable services are available electronically, and that quite a few people are not convinced about the security of their data when they use E-services.

Asked about the areas in which respondents have used E-services during the past 12 months, people most often referred to Internet bank payments and other banking operations (53%), as well as shopping on the Internet (29%).  Fewer respondents made use of E-services from cultural (7%) and health-related (5%) institutions, various opportunities for public E-participation (5%), as well as the E-signature (3%).  Still, more than one-half of respondents have used at least one E-service over the past year’s time.

Ieva Sircova, director of the DNB bank’s Electronic Products Unit:  “It is logical that interest in E-services is closely linked to economic activity – interest in this method of engaging in transactions and handling various issues is higher among people with a higher level of education, higher and more regular income, and more active individual entrepreneurship.  The DNB Latvian Barometer also shows that these interests are equally closely linked to positive forecasts about personal finances and the country’s overall development.  More detailed analysis shows that pessimists choose E-services two times less often than optimists do.”

42% of respondents said that they would use an E-service if given the option of receiving it electronically or face-to-face, but approximately one-third of residents did want to receive services face-to-face, by phone or by mail.  Most often residents explain this by saying that they want to have a personal conversation with the employees of the relevant institution so as to avoid misunderstandings or mistakes (16%), with 15% saying that they do not have Internet access.  Slightly fewer respondents said that they do not use E-services because they do not have sufficient computer and Internet skills (9%), that E-services are complicated (6%), or that they simply do not trust the Internet, fearing that data might be leaked or used for purposes of fraud (5%).  This latter issue was also cited as one of the main shortcomings in the use of E-services.

Daiga Auzina-Melalksne, board chairwoman of the NASDAQ OMX Riga stock exchange, had this to say about the shortcomings which local residents mentioned in relation to E-services:  “I am glad that many respondents understand data security risks, and that allows me to hope that the people of Latvia are conscientious and educated Internet users.  The truth is that this factor should be seen as an advantage, not a shortcoming, because security is of utmost importance when offering E-services.  That, in turn, means that only those E-services which are at a high level of quality and are convenient and secure for users will survive.”

The E-signature and its use remain the subject of much discussion in Latvia, and so respondents were asked why the E-signature remains uncommon.  37% of residents said that there is a lack of information about the E-signature and its use, while 31% said that they prefer to handle tangible documents.  25% of respondents believe that it is too expensive to use the E-signature, with another 22% saying that there are too few services which can be used with the help of the E-signature.  Another 22% argued that too little time has passed since the introduction of the E-signature to be able to judge its results.

Asked about the main advantages of using E-services, 60% of respondents said that this helps them and their companies to save time and money.  54% said that an important “bonus” for E-services is that they can be used at times when the relevant institutions are not open.  Nearly one-half pointed out that E-services can be used while the person is in another city or country, and one-quarter simply said that the use of E-services is a modern and contemporary approach when dealing with various issues.

Comparatively fewer respondents said that an advantage for E-services is that they allow the state and local governments to save money.  Only 16% noted that E-services make it possible to merge various national registers to make information more precise, and 12% said that E-services allow government institutions to monitor unlawful activities so that they can be effectively prevented.

Respondents were also asked to guess in which place Latvia is in terms of Internet speed.  40% did not now, while comparatively few residents thought that the country is in 41st place or lower in the world (8%).  Approximately one-quarter of respondents said that Latvia is between 11th and 40th place.  A study conducted by Pando Networks, in fact, shows that Latvia is in 5th place in the world at this time in terms of download speeds.  According to the DNB Latvian Barometer, only 12% of respondents ranked Latvia among the top countries in the world in this regard.

Analysis of the DNB Latvian Barometer’s monthly indicators shows that they improved last month after a decline in October and November of last year.  The overall public mood index remains negative (-29), but the level is one of the most positive ones since the DNB Latvian Barometer was first established.  In comparison to November, the present index improved by six points, while the future index rose by four points – the best result since September 2011.

Respondents were asked about the overall situation in the country, and they gave one of the most positive evaluations since the first of the 43 monthly barometer studies was conducted – up by 17 points.  Asked about changes in the country’s economic situation, more respondents in December than in November said that the situation is improving.  Forecasts about the economic situation have also become a bit more optimistic.

DNB economics expert Peteris Strautins has a pragmatic view about this:  “The DNB Latvian Barometer study that was conducted at the turn of the year really is a big surprise, because it shows how hard it is to guess the results of the study in future months.  In accepting this risk, however, I believe that the mood probably will worsen in January, because during the study itself, national census results were announced.  They should not have been a surprise, but the fact is that a reminder about negative things is unpleasant, and experts are still competing in the media to see who will be able to paint the future of the nation in the darkest colours.  The real economic development situation in Latvia is more or a reason for optimism, but I doubt whether this will have such a powerful effect on the mood of local residents.”

The study also found that local residents have become less critical about the work of the country’s government over the last three months.  In October, only 11% said that they are satisfied with the government’s work, but in December that was claimed by 20% of respondents.  The proportion of negative answers declined by three points.

The monthly DNB Latvian Barometer study has become a recognised sociological study of things which are happening at a specific moment in areas which are of public importance.  The study always includes a list of permanent questions to find out how the overall mood of local residents changes from month to month.