Opposition Politicians Demand Details on Luxembourg E-Government Plan for Blockchain, AI

Opposition party members in the Luxembourg parliament are demanding specifics from the prime minister on a proposed e-government plan, according to a report by the Luxembourg Times on May 24.

The plan reportedly centers on the implementation of blockchain technology, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) in government administration. The seat of the newly-created government position Minister for digitalization, Marc Hansen, said there will be an emphasis on improving data storage and transmission in the government with blockchain technology.

Laurent Mosar, a prominent member of the opposition Christian Democrats party, has asked for Prime Minister Xavier Bettel to provide specifics on various aspects of the plan. Mosar sought clarification on who in the private sector would partner with the government to develop the technology, which areas of the public sector would benefit, and actual deadlines for the projects.

According to the report, the e-government plans regarding AI were similarly vague, and government spokespersons declined to comment when asked for the AI project budget.

As recently reported by Cointelegraph, Luxembourg lawmakers passed a bill for facilitating blockchain tech in the financial sector this February. The new bill reportedly provides legal certainty with respect to blockchain-based securities in circulation, as well as the same legal protection for financial transactions on the blockchain as accorded to fiat transfers.

A number of governments around the world are reportedly in the planning or implementation stage of rolling out blockchain strategies, such as New Zealand, Germany, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.