Federal Public Service Information and Communication Technology

Fedict, formally the Belgian Federal Public Service Information and Communication Technology, was a government ICT organization serving the federal administration of Belgium. Its role was not that of a commercial technology company, but of a central public-sector technology and coordination body. It worked with Belgian federal public departments to improve how government communicated with citizens, businesses, and civil servants through information and communication technologies. The organization focused particularly on electronic government, or e-government. Its work supported the development of online public services and the federal government portal, with the aim of making administrative interactions more accessible and efficient. Fedict collaborated with federal departments on the design and continued development of digital services rather than operating as a standalone consumer-facing brand. Among the initiatives associated with Fedict were Belgium's electronic identity card, commonly known as the eID, and Tax-on-web, an online tax service. These projects contributed to the infrastructure through which residents could authenticate themselves and complete administrative procedures digitally. Fedict also worked with OneSpan on authentication services for online government applications. The organization had a broader digital-inclusion and public-awareness role as well. It supported initiatives such as Start2surf, a campaign intended to encourage computer and Internet use. Through these activities, Fedict sought to expand the population able to use electronic government services and to encourage wider adoption of digital tools. Fedict also contributed to Belgium's international e-government profile. It helped promote Belgian public-sector ICT expertise and supported Belgian companies seeking to export knowledge and experience gained through domestic e-government projects. In this sense, its remit combined practical service delivery, interdepartmental ICT coordination, digital access, authentication, and international promotion of Belgian e-government capabilities. Fedict was subsequently absorbed into the Belgian federal administrative structure associated with the Federal Public Service Policy and Support, or BOSA. The Fedict name therefore represents a former federal ICT organization rather than a currently independent public service or commercial enterprise.

Fedict was established as part of Belgium's effort to organize federal information and communication technology around a more coherent e-government agenda. Rather than functioning as a conventional ministry department delivering one narrow administrative service, it acted as a cross-government ICT partner. Its work involved cooperation with federal public departments, which retained responsibility for their respective policy areas while using shared digital capabilities and standards supported by Fedict. The central objective was to improve public administration through electronic communication and online services. Fedict helped federal departments make information and administrative procedures available to the public through digital channels, including the federal government portal. This model positioned the organization between technology provider, service integrator, and public-sector coordinator. Its work covered both the technical foundations of online government and the practical challenge of getting citizens, companies, and civil servants to use those services. A significant part of Fedict's public-service contribution was associated with digital identity. The organization helped produce and support Belgium's electronic identity card, which provided a government-backed means of identifying users in digital interactions. It also supported Tax-on-web, an online tax service that illustrated how federal administrative procedures could be moved from paper-based or in-person processes to an electronic environment. Authentication was an important element of this model, and Fedict worked with OneSpan to provide authentication services for online government applications. Fedict's remit extended beyond the construction of online systems. It also addressed the adoption gap that could limit the effectiveness of e-government. Through initiatives such as Start2surf, it promoted computer and Internet use and sought to increase the number of people able to access digital public services. This placed the organization partly within the broader policy context of digital inclusion, in which online government must be accompanied by public awareness and basic digital skills. The organization also served an international and economic-development function. Belgium's experience with electronic identity, online tax administration, and other federal digital services created expertise that could be shared outside the country. Fedict helped present Belgium as a center of information-technology knowledge and supported Belgian companies in exporting capabilities developed through Belgian e-government projects. Over time, Belgium reorganized parts of its federal administration. Fedict ceased to operate as a separate federal public service and its functions were incorporated into the Federal Public Service Policy and Support, known as BOSA. The Fedict legacy remains associated with the institutional development of Belgian e-government, particularly the expansion of online federal services, electronic identification, digital authentication, and public adoption of Internet-based administration.

• Creation of a federal ICT coordination function

  [1]Fedicten.wikipedia.org

  Fedict operated as a Belgian federal public service dedicated to coordinating and improving information and communication technology across federal public departments.

• Development of federal e-government services

  [1]Fedicten.wikipedia.org

  The organization worked with federal departments to develop electronic services and make them available through the federal government portal.

• Support for the Belgian electronic identity card

  [1]Fedicten.wikipedia.org

  Fedict helped produce Belgium's electronic identity card, supporting secure digital identification for online government interactions.

• Tax-on-web implementation

  [1]Fedicten.wikipedia.org

  Fedict was associated with Tax-on-web, an online tax service that brought federal tax administration into a digital channel.

• Integration into the BOSA federal service

  [1]Fedicten.wikipedia.org

  Fedict was later absorbed into Belgium's Federal Public Service Policy and Support, ending its existence as a separate federal public service.

A central government ICT enabler focused on digital public services, secure authentication, interdepartmental technology coordination, and broader adoption of e-government in Belgium.

• Digital identity

  Belgian electronic identity card

  Fedict helped produce and support Belgium's electronic identity card, or eID. The card provided an official identity mechanism for interactions with public services and formed part of the technical basis for secure online authentication. It was a public digital-infrastructure initiative rather than a commercial product sold under a consumer brand.

• Online government service

  Tax-on-web

  Tax-on-web was an online tax-administration service associated with Fedict's e-government work. It enabled users to interact with Belgian tax administration electronically and demonstrated the use of shared federal ICT capabilities for a high-volume public service.

• Government web portal

  Federal government portal

  Fedict worked with federal public departments to make electronic services available through the federal portal. The portal functioned as a common access point for government information and online administrative services, helping departments present digital services in a more coordinated way.

• Authentication infrastructure

  Online government authentication services

  Fedict worked with OneSpan to provide authentication services for online government applications. These services supported the identity and access requirements of digital interactions between citizens, businesses, civil servants, and Belgian federal departments.

• Start2surf

  Belgium

  Start2surf was a Fedict-associated campaign intended to encourage computer and Internet use among the Belgian public. It supported the wider adoption of digital tools and helped address the practical access and familiarity barriers that could prevent people from using electronic government services.

  Outcome. Reference material describes increased ability to use e-government services in connection with Fedict's broader work, but does not provide a separately quantified campaign result.

  Source

1. 1Fedicten.wikipedia.org