Frătică-Dragomir (Gușe), Alina Mihaela (2024), The Concept of Electronic Pensioner in Some Countries Versus Romania, Cunoașterea Științifică, 3:2, 75-97, DOI: 10.58679/CS44904, https://www.cunoasterea.ro/the-concept-of-electronic-pensioner-in-some-countries-versus-romania/

 

Abstract

This article delves into the concept of the electronic pensioner, intricately linked to terms such as digitalization, digitization, and artificial intelligence with various applications in some countries and the hopeful prospects of their use in Romania. We aim to introduce the concept of the electronic pensioner (EP), emphasizing its significance within the context of digital transformation. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) will undoubtedly shape the future world we inhabit. Contributing to the establishment of a resilient Europe for the digital decade, citizens, civil societies, and public institutions should harness the benefits of AI, feeling secure and protected. The European strategy on AI looks to transform the EU into a global hub for AI while ensuring its human-centered and trustworthy nature. Such a goal causes the integration of this concept into the documents of the European Union and the AI strategies of member states. The digital transformation of public administration is multifaceted and intricate, requiring a comprehensive analysis encompassing legal and regulatory frameworks, technological infrastructure, as well as social and cultural norms. Through a comparative analysis, we examine the digital transformation of administration and social security services in countries such as Australia, Japan, India, Malaysia, Spain, and China. Despite adopting distinct approaches to digital transformation, these countries reflect unique political, economic, and social contexts. Nevertheless, common themes and trends appear, including the implementation of the electronic pensioner card. Exploring the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to address and automate the daily challenges faced by pensioners may herald a future endeavor for many. The pension industry’s complexity demands specialized AI tools to effectively manage and ensure profitability, as initiatives like the Artificial Intelligence Research Centre (CitAI) at the University of London endeavor to implement. Lumera emphasizes the need for AI models to understand concepts such as premium histories, commissions, premium loans, partial withdrawals, redemptions, and reloads. Extensive investigation, experimentation, and development have been dedicated to understanding these AI activation tools pertinent to life and pensions in general.

Keywords: digitalization, digitization, AI, artificial intelligence, human resources management, pensionary

Conceptul de pensionar electronic în unele țări versus România

Rezumat

In acest articol vom aborda conceptul de pensionar electronic fiind strans legat de digitalizare, digitizare si inteligenta artificiala cu aplicatii diverse in unele tari si cu speranta utilizarii acestora si in Romania. Am dori sa introducem acest concept de pensionar electronic (limba engleza-electronic pensioner-prescrutat EP). Acest termen a fost utilizat evaziv pentru prima data in France AI Strategy Report in anul 2020 la Comisia Europeana.

Transformarea digitală a administrației publice este complexă și diversa. Este nevoie de o analiză atentă a diferiților factori, cum ar fi cadrele legale și de reglementare, infrastructura tehnologică și normele sociale și culturale. Această analiză comparativă examinează transformarea digitală a administrației și serviciilor de securitate socială în țări – Australia, Japonia, India, Malaiezia, Spania și China. Comparația constată că aceste țări au adoptat abordări diferite ale transformării digitale, reflectând contextele lor politice, economice și sociale unice. Cu toate acestea, unele teme și tendințe comune reies din analiză cum ar fi cardul electronic al pensionarului. Perspectivele folosirii inteligenței artificiale (AI) pentru a rezolva și automatiza problemele de de zi cu zi ale pensionarilor ar putea fi un lucru de viitor pentru mulți dintre acestia .

Industria pensiilor este suficient de complexă încât instrumentele generice de inteligență artificială se vor lupta întotdeauna să performeze și să ofere rentabilitatea  necesară asa cum CitAI Centrul de Cercetare în Inteligență Artificială al Universității din Londra incerca sa o implementeze. Lumera consideră că modelele de inteligență artificială trebuie să recunoască concepte precum istoricul primelor, comisioanele, împrumuturile cu primă, retragerile și răscumpărările parțiale, reîncărcările etc. Am petrecut o perioada lunga de timp investigând, experimentând și dezvoltăm înțelegerea acestor instrumente de activare a IA specifice vieții și pensiilor, in general.

Cuvinte cheie: digitalizare, IA, inteligența artificială, management resurse umane, pensionare

 

CUNOAȘTEREA ȘTIINȚIFICĂ, Volumul 3, Numărul 2, Iunie 2024, pp. 75-97
ISSN 2821 – 8086, ISSN – L 2821 – 8086, DOI: 10.58679/CS44904
URL: https://www.cunoasterea.ro/the-concept-of-electronic-pensioner-in-some-countries-versus-romania/
© 2024 Alina Mihaela FRĂTICĂ-DRAGOMIR (GUȘE). Responsabilitatea conținutului, interpretărilor și opiniilor exprimate revine exclusiv autorilor.

 

The Concept of Electronic Pensioner in Some Countries Versus Romania

Alina Mihaela FRĂTICĂ-DRAGOMIR (GUȘE)[1]

alina.fratica@cnpp.ro

[1] Head of Social Security Contributions Department Pension House of Bucharest Municipality, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Doctoral School of Management

 

1. The concept of electronic pensioner

We aim to introduce the concept of e-pensioner (EP) with the intention of having this term used as a document within the European Union’s strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the period 2023-2027 and after implemented into the legislation of member countries. The relationship between older generations and emerging forms of digitalization and artificial intelligence is the focal point, aiming to provide an easily approachable dimension for pensioners. This article presents an analytical framework and approaches for integrating pensioners into the digital era. Following the exposition of theoretical foundations, the article delineates the use of pensioner cards in select countries worldwide. The intersection of pensioners with the digital era proves to be a fertile entry point for examining regulatory ordinances in the digital realm. A novel digital form, the AI-based digital portal, involves a technique of facial authentication for pensioners to send digital life certificates.

Two key factors are named across all examined countries. The primary driver of digital transformation is propelled by the desire to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of public administration, which becomes particularly crucial as populations age, leading to increased demand for social services and competition for limited resources in the developed public sector. The innovative application of technology presents opportunities for streamlining processes, enhancing productivity, and reducing costs while concurrently improving service quality.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the management and administration of public pension funds stands for a natural progression of technology in the public domain. In an environment characterized by complexity and volatility, AI can provide a level of analysis and prediction that exceeds human ability. Presently, there exists a wide array of AI-powered tools for object detection, natural language processing, understanding and inference, optical character recognition, predictive analytics, anomaly detection, noise elimination, model forecasting, recommendation systems, and monitoring and observability.

The advantages of artificial intelligence in the pension domain include (Goga, 2023):

1. operational efficiency;
2. advanced analysis;
3. personalization;
4. compliance with regulations.

Conversely, risks associated with AI in pensions include (Goga, 2023):

1. data security;
2. algorithmic errors;
3. first costs;
4. ethical considerations.

From an AI perspective, the challenges are manifold and intriguing. Deep learning and predictive analysis are captivating, and natural language processing (NLP) plays an indisputable role in the development of digital systems. Portfolio optimization and transparency, as well as interpretability, are essential. Security and ethics cannot be overlooked concerning the digital realm of pensions, as more complex and interconnected systems become increasingly susceptible to cyber-attacks, and decisions made by AI may pose ethical dilemmas.

The use of AI in pension fund management holds immense potential but also presents significant challenges, both from a management and AI research perspective. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to maximize benefits and minimize risks.

In Australia, the government sets up parameters for a specific area of social security, including legal, regulatory, and operational parameters. This encompasses eligibility and the type of benefits citizens may receive. States oversee many social services, such as the pensioner card, which is already well-implemented.

In India, Australia, China, and Spain, eligibility for social aid is contingent upon citizenship and permanent residency, encompassing indigenous individuals, refugees, and asylum seekers. Additionally, each province and territory has varying eligibility criteria, programs, administrative rules, benefit levels, and provisions for specialized types of aid.

Regarding funding, social security benefits are typically financed through income taxes, employer or employee contributions. Similarly, all these countries set up minimum benefits for potential beneficiaries, with supplements often applied to aid low-income or marginalized beneficiaries.

Concerning organization, specialized authorities at the central government level define parameters for a specific area of social security, including legal, regulatory, and operational parameters. These include eligibility, type of benefit (financial or non-financial), strategic and operational key performance indicators, and who oversees managing a specific benefit. Regarding the digital transformation of social security, eligibility criteria and evaluation methods are of particular importance. Subjective assessment and eligibility criteria need human evaluation and value judgment, often involving in-person consultation to show the most suitable combination of financial and non-financial benefits for a specific individual and their context. In contrast, objective evaluations and eligibility criteria are binary and can be automated to a greater extent.

1.1. Digitization, digitalization, digital transformation

1.1.1. Concept: digitization versus digitalization (Caraiani, 2023:68; Sabbagh et al., 2012:9)

Although both terms refer to the process of modernization, their usage differs. Digitization denotes the conversion of data and documents from analog to digital. Digitization is the process of transforming physical, analog information (such as documents, photographs, reports, invoices, contracts, etc.) into a format that can be stored and accessed on computers, phones, tablets, USB sticks, smartwatches, and similar devices. Digitizing documents does not imply that the physical, analog information will disappear. In many cases, they continue to exist and are used concurrently. On the other hand, digitalization has a broader sense, encompassing methods of digitization as well. Digitalization is the process of transforming information into a digital format, where the information is organized into bits. The result is the representation of an object, image, sound, document, or signal by generating a series of numbers that describe a discrete set of points or samples.

Digitalization entails the transformation of interactions, communications, business functions, and models into digital data, which often transcends both the digital and physical realms. This is clear in areas such as omnichannel customer experiences, integrated marketing, or the industrialization of production with a blend of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and manual operations, electronic services, and the list can continue. Here, we can discuss the notion of a digital workplace. A digital workplace implies that the workforce runs differently, using digital tools such as mobile devices and technologies that make them mobile or employing social collaboration and unified communication platforms, which are digital systems that enable them to work in a more „digital” manner—collaborative, cohesive, and remote.

Innovations in sensor technologies, actuation mechanisms, data transmission, and storage form the basis for digitization within and between companies, as well as in public institutions.

Leading global companies in digitization have recognized this phenomenon and are unfolding the concept of digitization in a structured manner so that decisions can trigger learning processes and operational instructions can be obtained.

Global companies and public institutions that use and attempt to self-digitize strive to generate added value in the „human-machine” community. Machines and operators in production benefit from a higher degree of use, with their operation being safe and secure, and availability and flexibility conforming to market requirements.

Therefore, the introduction and use of modern digital technologies do not stand for an end in themselves but rather a contribution to a sustainable approach to open-system architectures, which makes digital engineering an integral part. The concept of digitization is implicated as a pioneer of digital engineering, enabling planning, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and repairs of installations to be easily integrated into customers’ systems and processes—including innovative methods of evaluation and optimization. Smart data develops and nurtures linear semantics, open interfaces, flexibility, smart services, and device-level adaptability, while edge and cloud are converted into digital format.

Compared to and related to digitization, digital transformation requires widespread adoption of digital technology and cultural changes. Digital transformation refers more to people than to digital technology per se. The transformation process also involves and needs some organizational changes focused on customers, approved by managers, driven by correct challenges of corporate culture, organizations, or public institutions, and exploiting technologies that qualify and transform employees’ ways of working.

Natural language processing (NLP) enables machines to read and understand human language. A sufficiently powerful natural language processing system would allow user interfaces in natural language and the acquisition of knowledge directly from sources written by humans, such as news texts. Some simple applications of NLP include information retrieval, answering questions, and automatic translation (Sfetcu, 2021).

1.1.2. Digitization and digitalization: what is the difference?

In specialized literature and at the basis of information, the argument stands that digitalization cannot occur without digitization. Digitization is the conversion of analog technologies into digital ones, while digitalization is the use of digital technologies and digitized data to influence how work is done, to transform how customers and companies engage and interact, and to create new (digital) revenue streams. Digitization refers to the internal optimization of processes and leads to cost reduction. Conversely, digitalization is a strategy or process that goes beyond technology implementation, to involve a profound, fundamental change in the entire business model and the evolution of work.

1.1.3. Advantages and disadvantages of digitalization

Among the advantages of digitalization, we can highlight the following (Dieffenbacher, 2024; Monge & Soriano, 2023):

It allows saving paper and ink for printing, as documents are archived digitally, thus generating fewer wastes, protecting the environment. Digital documents are easier to share. So, we can imagine conducting a procedure with an institution found in another city or country. Documents can be sent via email, reaching at once; this, instead of sending the corresponding papers by mail, takes days or weeks. It is easier to find a file when it is in digital format. This compared to searching for a specific document in a stack of papers. Digitalization combats the informal economy and governmental corruption; however, digitalization also has some disadvantages (Dieffenbacher, 2024; Monge & Soriano, 2023;) Not all people can easily familiarize themselves with digital media, especially if they are older. So even if an entity change many of its procedures to digital format, some users will not feel comfortable or will be hesitant about the new system. Digital is not always certain. It is possible that due to human error or a virus, for example, files may be lost. Digitalization is not usually immediate; it takes some time to transfer all files. When people share documents or information on digital media, there is always the risk that data may fall into the hands of unscrupulous individuals, such as hackers.

1.1.4. Presentation of the differences between digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation

Digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation are analyzed through five parameters: focus; aim; activity; tools; challenges, with examples for each.

Table no. 1

	Digitization	Digitalization	Digital Transformation
Focus	Data conversion	Information processing	Knowledge use
Objective	Changing analog format to digital format	Automation of existing business operations and processes	Changing the company culture, how it runs, and thinks
Activity	Converting paper documents, photographs, microfilms, LPs, films, and VHS tapes into digital format	Creating fully digital workflows	Creating a new digital company or transforming into a digital one
Instruments	Computers and conversion/coding equipment	IT systems and software applications	Matrix of new digital technologies (currently disruptive)
Challenges	Volume – material	Price – financials	Change resistance – human resource
Example	Scanning paper registration forms	Entirely electronic registration process	All electronic, from registration to content delivery

Sursa: Savic, D. (2019), From Digitization, Through Digitalization, to Digital Transformation, January 2019

Why is digitization important? Using more digital tools for coordinating social security has many advantages. For example, it reduces administrative burden and costs for individuals moving to another country or conducting business there, improves the quality of public services, accelerates social security coordination processes, helps institutions share information and work together better through improved data sharing and automation, minimizes the risk of errors and social security fraud, including the use of forged documents, thus strengthening worker protection and fair labor mobility.

The purpose of digitizing social security coordination also aligns with the goals of Europe’s „Digital Decade” policy program, which aims to transform public services, promote cross-border information exchange, and simplify interactions with the public. EU rules on social security coordination require countries to use digital technologies to access, process, and exchange social security data. They also encourage countries to ensure that services for people exercising their right to free movement in the EU are easy to use.

The EU countries and the Commission are currently working on two key initiatives in this area:

1. Facilitating social security institutions to exchange information and work together The Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) system helps social security institutions exchange information across Europe. This means that national institutions can process social security claims (e.g., for unemployment benefits, health benefits, family benefits, and pensions) faster and more securely.
2. Simplifying interactions between the public, businesses, social security institutions, and other public bodies as part of the European Social Security Pass initiative, the Commission has launched a pilot project to explore the feasibility of digitally verifying citizens’ social security rights across borders.

1.2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made extraordinary progress at an unprecedented rate, reaching and surpassing human capabilities in many tasks previously considered beyond the reach of machines, such as language translation, music composition, object detection, medical diagnosis, software programming, and many more.

AI has advanced in almost all sectors of the modern economy, with a major impact on our private, social, and political lives. AI refers to an ecosystem of models and technologies for feeling reasoning, interaction, and learning. The resurgence of AI in the spotlight in recent years is mainly related to data learning, machine learning (ML), which has made strides forward due to the emergence of Big Data. The mix is ​​triple: data reaches the critical mass of learning, algorithms discover predictive patterns and hidden patterns in data, high-performance architectures succeed in compensating for the computing and storage resources needed. Based on this algorithm, AI has succeeded in positively addressing long-standing open challenges, such as understanding and translating texts and speech, recognizing the content of images and videos, and other tasks that were believed to require intelligence. Ten years ago, it was seen that some learning models previously known to be ineffective for the mentioned tasks, if properly generalized and trained on a large dataset, for example, can make a qualitative leap. Indeed, such methods can learn, from image pixels or words in texts, „general” concepts that allow them to accurately recognize and classify new images and texts. (Sfetcu, 2021).

1.2.1. The Concept of Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence was set up as an academic discipline in 1956, and in the years that followed, it experienced several waves of publicity and trust, followed by disappointment and loss of funding (known as the „AI winter”), followed by innovative approaches, success, and renewed funding. Research AI has satisfied many different approaches from its start, including brain simulation, modeling human problem solving, formal logic, large knowledge databases, and imitation of animal behavior. In the first decades of the 21st century, machine learning has dominated the research sphere, and this technique has proved successful in solving challenging problems in industry and academia. Sfetcu, N (2021) Machine learning offers a promising approach to improving cybersecurity defense by offering the ability to detect, predict, and respond to cyber threats than traditional methods. (Sfetcu, N, 2024). It is important to note that while machine learning can significantly enhance cybersecurity capabilities, it is not a universal panacea and should be used in conjunction with other security measures, such as encryption, regular software updates, and employee training to create a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. It is essential to balance reliance on ML with human oversight to ensure that cybersecurity defense is still robust, transparent, and adaptable to the ever-changing nature of cyber threats. (Sftecu, N 2021). Before moving on to the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence, let’s discover what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is. AI gives a computer program the ability to think and learn on its own. It is a simulation of human intelligence (hence, artificial) in machines to perform tasks that are normally administered by humans. There are three main types of AI based on its capabilities – weak AI, strong AI, and super AI (Woollacott, 2023). Weak AI focuses on a task and cannot transcend its limits. Strong AI can understand and learn any intellectual task that a human can do (researchers strive to achieve strong AI). Super AI exceeds human intelligence and can perform any task better than a human.

1.2.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence (Duggal, 2023)

An artificial intelligence program is a program capable of learning and thinking. While artificial intelligence has many benefits, there are also disadvantages. The benefits of AI include efficiency through task automation, data analysis for informed decisions, aid in medical diagnosis, and advancement in autonomous vehicles. Disadvantages of artificial intelligence include job displacement, ethical concerns about bias and privacy, security risks caused by hacking, lack of human-like creativity and empathy. Let’s start by presenting the advantages of artificial intelligence.

1. Reducing human error.
2. Zero risks.
3. 24×7 availability.
4. Digital aid.
5. New inventions.
6. Unbiased decisions.
7. Perform repetitive tasks.
8. Daily applications.
9. AI in risky situations Disadvantages of artificial intelligence.
10. Excessive costs.
11. No creativity.
12. Unemployment.
13. Makes people lazy.
14. No ethics.
15. No emotions.
16. No improvement, the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence have massive potential to create a better world to live in. While there are both pros and cons of artificial intelligence, its impact on the global industry is categorical.

1.2.3. AI Implementation for Life and Pensions

Lumera (2022) aims to build a comprehensive range of use cases addressing the entire chain of quality of life and pensions. At this moment, we offer four proven use cases of AI:

– Customer Voice uses sentiment analysis to map online reactions to products, advertisements, and corporate messages and allows firms to gain instant market sentiment, altering products or messages accordingly.

– Customer On-boarding uses Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) to completely automate nearly all onboarding activity. It includes reading and verifying identity and other required documents from new customers with about a 95% confidence and integrating them into the policy administration system (PAS) and/or other ecosystem elements.

– Churn Risk finds customer segments at the highest risk of churn. For example, in one project, the AI model found that recently divorced women in their thirties or forties were the segment with the highest probability of churning.

– Optimized Claims Processing uses a combination of activation elements such as object detection, noise removal, and OCR (optical character recognition) to automate the processing of death, accident, or illness claims.

1.2.4. Regulation on the single digital gateway adopted by the Council: improving online access to information and procedures across the EU

In 2018, the Council of Europe adopted a regulation setting up a single digital gateway. The new portal will provide individuals and businesses with online access to information and procedures, as well as support and problem-solving services. The European Parliament’s regulation set up a single digital portal (gateway) to provide access to information, procedures, and help and problem-solving services and to amend Regulation (EU) No. 1024/2012. There are rules for coordinating social security to protect social security rights when populations move to Europe. These rules are being modernized. Digitization can further improve the coordination of social security systems and support fair labor mobility. That’s why the Commission has presented a communication with objectives for digitization in the short and long term. Regulating artificial intelligence stands for the development of policies and laws in the public sector to promote and regulate artificial intelligence (AI). The regulatory and policy landscape for AI is an emerging issue globally. Between 2016 and 2020, over 30 countries adopted dedicated AI strategies. Most EU member states have launched national AI strategies, as have Canada, China, India, Japan, Mauritius, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Vietnam, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Tunisia. The Global Partnership on AI was launched in June 2020, developing the fact that AI must be developed following human rights and democratic values, to ensure public trust in technology. In the USA, Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher issued a joint statement in November 2021, calling for a government commission to regulate AI.

2. Applications of the electronic pensioner in various countries.

2.1. India (Purohit, 2021)

2.1.1. Solution of the Department for Pensions and Welfare in India

This department, using artificial intelligence to obtain the status of filing and acceptance of a Digital Life Certificate via SMS, has had the following evolution: In 2014, the Jeevan Pramaan Portal was launched by the Prime Minister to facilitate the lives of pensioners. This allows the online submission of a life certificate from anywhere by anyone, just by attaching a biometric device, such as a fingerprint scanner and iris scanner, to the computer/mobile or by using CSC. „Jeevan Pramaan” uses the Aadhaar platform for biometric authentication of the pensioner. In June 2020, DoPPW launched a mobile phone version of Bhavishya to ease smooth pension processing, tracking, and payment. The technology can send automatic alerts to pensioners and allows users to send contributions, suggestions, and complaints. In August 2020, the Bhavishya 8.0 program was launched with a new feature for PUSH e-PPOs in DigiLocker. DigiLocker is the Indian government’s online digitization service that allows citizens to store important and official documents. Bhavishya is the first application to use PUSH technology, which involves a face authentication technique that does not require more biometric devices, and the process can be done with a single click.

The advantages obtained through this system are: the annual submission of the life certificate to receive a pension will no longer require them to be physically present at pension payment agencies; this requirement has been a barrier for elderly citizens who cannot wait for hours in bank queues due to health issues; the introduction of this technology is an additional step towards ensuring ease of living for pensioners and family pensioners. Under this facility, the identity of a pensioner or the person in their care can be proved using face recognition technique using any Android-based smartphone.

2.1.2. Solution from the West Bengal region

The „e-Pension” Portal is a strategic administrative reform initiative based on an employee-centric workflow of the Directorate of Pensions, Provident Fund and Group Insurance, Finance Department, Government of West Bengal to provide a comprehensive solution to problems related to pension disbursement and other retirement benefits to employees of the institution receiving grants from the state government.

Advantages of the e-Pension portal: this project covers all stakeholders, from applicant to pension payment officer, under a single portal, using the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT); the project aims to bring a positive solution from the current system based.

2.2. China – The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China

The Senior Citizen Card offers a token of appreciation to retirees in China to ease their access to concessions, discounts, or priority services offered by government departments, public transport, private and commercial units. The scheme aims to promote a spirit of respect for the elderly. The Senior Citizen Card scheme, designed for individuals aged over 65, is associated with social benefits such as concessions, discounts, and priority services offered by a wide range of institutions and organizations. To apply for the Senior Citizen Card, visit the website of the Social Welfare Department. The Chinese government introduced the Old Age Allowance (OALA) scheme in 2013. As of February 1, 2023, the monthly pension aid value is $4,060. OALA eligibility criteria are mandatory, and the applicant must be 65 years old; they must have been a resident in Hong Kong for at least seven years and have continuously resided in Hong Kong for at least one year before the application date (absence from Hong Kong for up to 56 days in a year period renders them ineligible). The applicant must not receive Old Age Allowance (OAA) or Disability Allowance (DA) under the Social Security Allowance Scheme. The applicant must continue to live in Hong Kong during the receipt of OALA, and the income and assets of the applicant must not exceed the limits prescribed by law. Residents of Hong Kong aged 65 or older are eligible to apply for a Senior Citizen Card. Application procedure, application form, distribution points of the application form, and fees are followed through a hyperlink.

2.3. Spain (Kemp, 2021)

The legal retirement age in Spain is 65 for both men and women, who can obtain a full pension from the Spanish government if they have worked and paid into a pension fund in the country for over 36 years or a minimum pension with a contribution to the social security system of at least 15 years. Even if they have paid contributions to the pension fund in another EU country, this will be considered for the pension obtained by the citizen in Spain. The Spanish government even has special agreements with the USA, Canada, and Australia to allow residents from these countries to retire in Spain. Foreign citizens who have worked for a period in Spain and have contributed to the pension fund in two or more countries must give documents to the National Institute of Social Security (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social or INSS) in Spain. In Spain, elderly individuals can apply for free or discounted public transportation tickets if they have a pensioner card. The pensioner’s card is eligible in Spain for all pensioners over the age of 65. Targeta Rosa (Pink Card): a social tariff transportation ticket that allows free or reduced-rate travel for the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Targeta daurada renfe (RENFE Gold card) offers discounts of up to 40% for train travel for those over 60 years old. The pensioner’s card is used for free travel or to buy tickets at a reduced rate anywhere in Spain. Spain offers an advantage for residents aged 62 or older, GPISD Senior Privilege Gold Card. With this card, they gain free or reduced-price entry to all concerts sponsored by GPISD or sporting events.

2.4. Singapore

In Singapore, eligibility criteria for a pensioner are mandatory, and one must be a permanent resident over the age of 60. While not everyone looks forward to aging, some countries have understood this phenomenon and have implemented the senior citizen card through which they have different bonuses or discounts. Fortunately, there are a multitude of advantages and offers that one can access once becoming eligible. Who is eligible for senior citizen discounts in Singapore? As said in the laws or regulations for seniors in Singapore, anyone who is at least 60 years old is considered a senior citizen and is eligible for these benefits. Documents required for this card are: 1 color photograph, passport-size-the photograph must be taken in the last three months, have a white background, show the entire face from the top of the head to the chin, have well-combed or tied hair, electronic copy for online application. There is no application fee for issuing the senior citizen card. The senior citizen card will be mailed between two and four weeks after receiving the application by TransitLink. Card activation is done at any SimplyGo ticket office with the original identity document, and a minimum reload of $4 is needed to activate the card for use on public transport. Cardholders can activate their cards only from the day they turn 60. Like military personnel and healthcare workers, senior citizen discounts are usually offered as a sign of respect for the elderly. Alongside the Seniors Go Digital initiative launched by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), some of Singapore’s major telecommunications companies offer exclusive mobile plans for seniors to aid them in their digital journey.

2.5. Japan

The administration of the Prime Minister of Japan considers this a top priority issue and has developed policies in this regard. In September 2023, the Japanese government set up a digital agency that leads the digitization of the entire country. For the elderly, the „My Number Card” pensioner card has been implemented in Japan, which is assigned to all persons living in Japan and has a chip with digital certification. Due to its strict procedures for personal data, the card can be used with highly confidential and rigorous online verification from government administration to opening bank accounts, leading to its applicability in various situations. The use of the MaaS (Mobility as a Service) Card is part of a project that combines discounts on buses, taxis, and other modes of transportation into a single service. The project experiments with new services to provide city residents with the development they need and allows them to travel by buses through facial recognition.

2.6. Malaysia (Low, 2023)

Malaysian citizens and permanent residents aged 60 and above are entitled to a 20% discount on basic fares using the senior citizen card. The senior citizen card in Malaysia is embraced by the elderly and attracts benefits such as special prices for park tickets for MyKad holders, tourist attractions, and museums have below-average ticket prices for those aged 61 and above. Pensioners with a MyKad card receive help from low prices at the Philharmonic, in national parks, and other tourist centers in the country as well as transport providers.

2.7. Australia

In Australia, the pension institution is called NSW (New South Wales, an Australian state). The policy of this institution in the field of pensions is it is part of the highly centralized federal social security ecosystem and has a high degree of operational consolidation.

In Australia, the federal government handles developing and implementing a national digital transformation strategy, as well as a few key social security services managed by Centrelink (a program of Service Australia). The Centrelink service has played an exemplary role for several social security services and digital governance of public services worldwide. The key lessons of the Australian case are related to the government’s consolidation of social services and the increased focus on whole-of-government and user-centric service production and delivery ecosystems. The Centrelink service has played an exemplary role for several social security services and digital governance of public services worldwide. Australia has significantly focused on legislative and regulatory aspects related to digital transformation in social security issues since 2019 by adopting legislation developed for digitization. The country ensures the catalyst role of legislation by adopting a series of specific privacy, related legal acts, including telecommunications, criminal records, data matching, anti-money laundering, electronic health systems, medical and pharmaceutical benefit schemes, and the Registry of Securities over personal property (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, 2019). In Australia, the digital transformation of public sector services in general and social security in particular has led to specific challenges about digital inclusion (and exclusion), especially of automated income assessments for deciding eligibility. To ensure service inclusion for regional populations, remote servicing is provided by Services Australia. Services are provided through a combination of agents, access points, service centers, and visits by remote service teams and mobile service centers. Attention is paid to providing services for people of different ethnic backgrounds. Australia has addressed back-end services between federal, provincial, and municipal levels. The fragmented approach is mainly due to their federal nature and the lack of coordination and integration between levels of governance. Today, the country is moving towards a whole-of-government approach in digital architecture, to transition to the WoG architecture, the government has proven a Whole of Government Architecture Working Group (WoG Approach), managed by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA).

After applying for the physical card, seniors can obtain the digital version through Service NSW in Australia. The following types of Service NSW cards are issued:

1. Opal Gold Card;
2. ACT Seniors Card;
3. Northern Territory Seniors Card;
4. Queensland Seniors Card;
5. South Australia Seniors Card;
6. Tasmania Seniors Card;
7. Victoria Seniors Card;
8. Western Australia Seniors Card.

The Opal Gold Cards are reserved for those who are high-pension retirees and for the age limit. The ACT Seniors Card provides a 10% discount on vehicle registration, a 28% discount for electric vehicle registration, concessional public transport fares during peak hours and free travel outside peak hours and free travel for those over 70; and a wide range of discounts from private businesses kindly supporting the senior community.

The ACT Seniors Card also provides access to discounts and benefits on a range of goods and services. To apply for a senior’s card, the applicant must be 60 years of age or older. With a senior’s card in Australia, one can enjoy cheaper medicines under the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, doctor visits.

The ACT Seniors Card also allows seniors to access reciprocal discounts in other states and territories. The ACT Seniors Card can be used interstate and in New Zealand.

Northern Territory Seniors Card

Queensland Seniors Card

South Australia Seniors Card

Tasmania Seniors Card

This card has the following features: this senior card, which has been consolidated for the 2023-2024 edition under the name Seniors Card Directory; Seniors Cards are a way the Government helps build a country that supports seniors, the Tasmanian Government does everything necessary to help retirees access the services and support they need; cardholders will find a range of discounts and special offers from automotive and household needs to health and financial services; the Seniors Card program has introduced online services for Cardholders and Business Partners. The online platform is easy to use, and members can also access accounts and search for discounts anywhere, anytime.

Partners have remained loyal to over 120,000 Tasmanian Seniors cardholders. The Seniors Card program is coordinated by the Tasmanian Government in partnership with the public and private sectors; each year, the program continues to grow, with over 120,000 members and over 600 companies and discounts; the Seniors Card encourages older Tasmanians to support an active lifestyle by providing them with access to concessional public transport throughout Australia. The senior card is useful when traveling abroad as it is accepted by international organizations. This senior card is used in New Zealand, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, and the United Kingdom. You are eligible for a Seniors Card if you meet the following three criteria: you are 60 years of age or older, live in Tasmania, and work less than 20 hours per week in employment. The Tasmanian Government provides public transport, concessions for valid Seniors Cardholders. Seniors Cards issued by any Australian State or Territory are accepted.

3. Vision for the Electronic Pensioner Application in Romania

In Romania, there are approximately 4,759,711 million pensioners. The average monthly pension in Romania is around 2000 lei. 40% of pensioners in the public system of the CNP have pensions of approximately 1,280 lei. In 2021, the process of demographic aging deepened, with nearly 124 elderly people for every 100 young people under 15. By using the proposed service, pensioners can receive help from price discounts and advantages specially created for them. Additionally, merchants can create and combine a niche clientele of pensioners.

3.1. Free Digital Signature for All Romanians

The proposed facility by the Romanian Digitalization Authority. Every Romanian will have a free qualified digital signature within the context of a project to be implemented by the Romanian Digitalization Authority (ADR) and the Ministry of Research. Digital signature for all Romanians is a project proposed by the Romanian Digitalization Authority (ADR). Anyone will have access to this facility after the launch of an extension of the ROeID project. The project will be implemented by ADR in collaboration with the Ministry of Research. And the aim is for every Romanian to have a digital signature.

Digital signature for all Romanians. The ROeID platform is functional and allows any Romanian citizen to connect to digital services offered by the state. For this, an identity card or passport and facial identification are needed. Once the new project is launched, ROeID will be expanded and will offer services including the allocation of a digital signature, free of charge.

Currently, only three companies in Romania can offer such digital signature services for a fee. Allocating digital signatures to every citizen will stand for a step forward in the citizen’s relationship with state institutions. They will no longer have to present themselves at counters for certain services offered by public institutions. It will be sufficient to request them online, based on authentication with a digital signature.

3.2. Development of Electronic Pension Coupons with the Help of the National Public Pension House Platform

Currently, there is an electronic application that works to send information documents about electronic coupons to pensioners in Romania. The procedure provides for each pensioner to have an online account that is approved by any territorial pension house.

3.3. Acquisition of a chatbot named „PER” (Electronic Pensioner) within the territorial pension houses to relieve pressure from counters

3.4. Issuance of pensioner cards from non-refundable funds 2021-2027 as follows: nationwide to include the following functions: health card included in the pensioner card, card for reduced public transport (6 trips for second-class pensioners and for pensioners receiving help from Law 118/1990 between 6 and 12 first-class trips).

3.4.1. Amendment of the legislative framework and introduction of IT applications

3.4.2. Acquisition of a unique platform or a judge chatbot for all territorial pension houses aiming to resolve court processes at various stages

3.4.3. Pensioner card with ATMs in post offices from where they can electronically collect their money and pension coupons

In conclusion, through these actions, Romania will be able to develop its digital system, and by using AI, it helps us to meet exacting standards. For the electronic pensioner, we propose, based on the experience of other countries, the adoption of a single card that will have the following functions:

– use at the bank;

– health card;

– transport card (railways, metro, and urban surface transport);

– use in other activities (museums, shows, spas, supermarkets, taxis).

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