elperiodico.com.gt (02.05.2020) El programa denominado Bono al Comercio Popular a cargo del Ministerio de Desarrollo  (Mides) destinado a los trabajadores de la economía informal, durante la emergencia sanitaria de COVID-19 ya realizó las primeras 2 mil 598 transferencias de Q1,000 a vendedores de la capital, que iniciaron a desembolsarse el 8 de abril.

republica.gt (06.08.2020) El Bono Familia se otorgará por tres meses: julio, agosto y septiembre (3 pagos). El Ministerio de Desarrollo (Mides) recordó que aún siguen entregando el primer pago y esperan comenzar con el segundo el 15 de agosto. Gómez indicó que las personas que aún no han actualizado los datos, deben enviar el mensaje de BonoPago al 2020 para continuar con el proceso y ser beneficiados del Bono Familia. De acuerdo con la página web del bono, el fondo es de 6,000 millones de quetzales y ha beneficiado a 10 milliones de personas (2 milliones de hogares).

Agencia Boliviana de Información (20.07.2020) El Gobierno, a través del 4289, destinó Bs 15.406.000 para contratar un seguro de invalidez total y permanente o muerte derivada del coronavirus COVID-19 para los miembros de la Policía Nacional.     Mediante la nueva normativa se autorizó al Ministerio de Economía, a través del Tesoro General de la Nación (TGN), realizar en la gestión 2020 la asignación presupuestaria de recursos adicionales por el monto señalado, a favor del Ministerio de Gobierno para contratar el seguro.

boliviasegura.gob.bo (15.07.2020) El Decreto 4288 autoriza de manera excepcional y temporal, la ampliación de la vigencia del Carnet de Discapacidad que se encuentren vencidos para las personas con Discapacidad grave y muy grave, para el pago del bono mensual.

Finland launches its AuroraAI National Artificial Intelligence program. AuroraAI will be fully available in 2022. By Susan Fourtané July 09, 2020

The promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a concept taken from science fiction. Businesses around the world are taking advantage of AI and automation, moving the enterprise right at the center of digital business transformation.

Similarly, Government AI is not just a trend but a response from governments around the globe to the current state of Artificial Intelligence evolution, societal implications, enterprise disruption, and industry adoption.

National Artificial Intelligence strategies are a response to the need that urges governments to remain in sync with strategic technology trends that have been emerging in recent years, technology trends that are shaping the way we live, socialize, work, and educate the future generations.

KrattAI is the vision of how public services should digitally work in the age of Artificial Intelligence. By Susan Fourtané June 08, 2020

In Estonia, there are around 30 Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions deployed in the Estonian public sector that were identified as active as of the beginning of June 2020. The Baltic nation aims to have at least 50 AI use cases by the end of 2020.

And that is just the beginning. Estonia's AI strategy is the next stage of digital public services, all part of e-Estonia. What is most interesting about it, is that its vision sounds as if it was taken from a science fiction script. Yet, it is all almost around the corner. In 2020, Estonia is working toward realizing its AI Strategy vision, called KrattAI. 

Estonian companies widely use AI solutions in several business areas for optimizing business processes, automating customer service, in product quality control, and in risk mitigation to name just a few. 

In May 2019, an expert group led by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications (MKM) and Government Office presented proposals on advancing the take-up of artificial intelligence (AI) in Estonia aka for Estonia’s national AI strategy. ​

This current strategy has been prepared based on these proposals, as a plan on how to implement the expert group’s recommendations. It was adopted at Cabinet meeting on 25 July 2019. ​

The strategy is a sum of actions that Estonian government will take to advance the take-up of AI in both private and public sector, to increase the relevant skills and research and development (R&D) base as well as to develop the legal environment. According to the current strategy and based on existing knowledge, Estonian government will invest at least 10M euros in 2019-2021 to implementation of AI strategy in its different directions.

Unless you’re familiar with old Estonian mythology, it’s likely you don’t know what the word “Kratt” means. Created out of hay and miscellaneous household objects, a kratt was a magical creature who would come alive once a pact was made between its master and the devil. This then allowed the kratt’s master to order it to do whatever menial labour or even nefarious tasks were needed or desired.

For many, it might be enough to leave the kratts in the past or to the folklorists. Not so in Estonia, where culture is not only preserved, but enhanced by digitalisation. And as such, kratts are still woven into today’s digital society. The similarity of the creature to artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led the Estonian government to repurpose the term for modern life. They can be found in the 2018 algorithmic-liability law, aka, Kratt law and are referenced in the current national AI “kratt” strategy.

Adopted by the government in July 2019, the “Kratt” strategy is a number of actions that the Estonian government plans to take. Relying on four pillars, the strategy seeks to boost the take-up of AI in both the private and public sectors. As well as a way to increase the relevant skills and research and development (R&D) base and develop the legal environment. With #KrattAI the government plans to invest at least 10M euros in 2019-2021 for the implementation of a proposed 50 AI use cases by 2020.

Suve is already working on the webpages of Government of Estonia, Estonia’s Health Board, Ministry of Social Affairs, Work in Estonia, International House of Estonia and Invest in Estonia – with other sites soon to follow. During the emergency situation in Estonia, Suve focuses on questions related to the crisis situation. Her main goals are to find official information during the crisis situation, keep various emergency phone lines free for those in need of information that she cannot provide and help prevent the spread of fake news. The Government of Estonia declared an emergency situation on 12th March due to the worldwide pandemic of Coronavirus COVID-19 and the threat of mass infections.

To guarantee trustworthy and accurate information, Suve’s parents – the eeBot team – is co-operating with Estonian Government Communication Unit.

Around the globe, people are searching for innovative ideas to tackle problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries are scrambling to find solutions to combat the looming economic crisis, manage pressure on the medical system all the while trying to ensure that life can continue as normally as possible. Even the New York Times recently estimated that some countries might have a competitive edge in their way out the Covid-19 crisis. Estonia among them due to the digital society, startup ecosystem, and agile business and government partnerships. However, a lot of the ideas entrepreneurial Estonians have come up with, can be implemented elsewhere, not to mention that businesses are offering some solutions for free as well.

Suve (https://eebot.ee/en/) is an automated chatbot, whose main task is to make sure that you and everyone living in or visiting Estonia get their questions answered from official sources. Suve has been integrated into several public websites. During the emergency situation related to COVID-19, she helps to provide accurate and trustworthy information in English, Estonian and Russian.

Suve  is an automated chatbot, whose main task is to make sure that you and everyone living in or visiting Estonia get their questions answered from official sources. Suve has been integrated into several public websites. During the emergency situation related to COVID-19, she helps to provide accurate and trustworthy information in English, Estonian and Russian.

Implementation of the national AuroraAI programme The aim of the Aurora national artificial intelligence (AI) programme is to implement an operations model based on people’s needs, where artificial intelligence helps citizens and companies to utilise services in a timely and ethically sustainable manner. The activities of the relevant authorities will be organised in such a way that they support people’s life-events and companies’ business-related events, facilitating seamless, effective and smoothly functioning service paths consisting of the services of several service providers. This will provide people with access to a new way of taking care of their overall well-being and, at the same time, will promote service providers’ ability to form customer-oriented and dynamic service chains in collaboration with other operators and to manage their activities based on up-to-date information.

AuroraAI will strengthen our ability to solve difficult issues in our society relating, for example, to the national economy’s sustainability gap, the aging population or the social exclusion of young people. This will be made possible by creating snapshots across administrative boundaries about people’s true needs and the state of their well-being. Creating such a snapshot will require a new kind of utilisation of information, data analytics and other applications of artificial intelligence. At the same time, services will be allocated efficiently from the point of view of central government finances, and the waste and underutilisation of resources will be removed.

Asean Briefing (05.08.2020) Under the fifth stimulus package, the government has extended its financial support for private sector employees, in particular, those in the garment, textiles, and footwear industries. Introduced under the previous stimulus package, companies who want to suspend employment contracts must first submit an application to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT). The suspended employees are then eligible to receive monthly subsidies. This program has now been extended through the latest economic package until September 2020. Suspended employees are entitled to the following monthly subsidies: US$15 for 7-10 days of employment suspension; US$30 for 11-20 days of employment suspension; and US$40 for 21 days to one month of employment suspension.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (03.04.2020) The government announced ... a measure to assist minimum wage workers employed in the tourism sector amid COVID-19 fears. It said in a statement the government will pay 20 percent of the workers’ minimum wages as the tourism sector deals with loss of income. The statement said the financial measure will apply to those who are suspended from their jobs at hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and travel agencies.

boliviaemprende.com (28.07.2020) El Decreto Supremo 4298 del 24 de julio del 2020, crea incentivos tributarios para la reactivación económica y crea también un régimen tributario promocionar la creación de nuevas empresas. Además, fomentar el consumo y producción de bienes hechos en Bolivia. Consolida el pago del IVA, IUE e IT en un monotributo de 5% sobre las ventas brutas. Se puede acumular crédito fiscal para su posterior uso del Régimen General. Las compras de productos hechos en Bolivia, permitirá el descargo de RC- IVA con un 20% adicional de Crédito Fiscal. El contribuyente solo puede permanecer 3 años en el Sistema SIETE – RG, debiendo luego pasar al automáticamente al Régimen General.

periodicobolivia.com.bo (28.07.2020) El decreto supremo Nr. 4295 establece un procedimiento excepcional para realizar los trámites de baja laborales, en primera instancia se aceptarán las pruebas de PCR y las pruebas rápidas, pero estas deben ser de instituciones o laboratorios autorizados por el Servicio Departamental de Salud (Sedes) de los diferentes departamentos. Los resultados se comparten con la unidad de recursos humanos del lugar de trabajo y la baja se dará por 14 días.

Australian Taxation Office (29.07.2020) The government is temporarily reducing superannuation minimum drawdown requirements for account-based pensions and similar products by 50% for 2019–20 and 2020–21. This measure will benefit retirees holding these products by reducing the need to sell investment assets to fund minimum drawdown requirements.

paginasiete.bo (02.08.2020) Para evitar que las personas adultas se contagien en las filas, el beneficiario podrá autorizar a un familiar para el cobro en su representación, mediante nota impresa o escrita a mano, firmada o autorizada con su huella dactilar.

boliviasegura.gob.bo (31.07.2020) El Decreto Supremo 4303 autoriza, de manera excepcional, el pago anticipado del Aguinaldo de la Renta Dignidad, por la Gestión 2020 a los Beneficiarios de la Renta Universal de Vejez (Renta Dignidad). El aguinaldo normalmente se paga en diciembre, y ahora se adelanta a agosto.

boliviasegura.gob.bo (26.06.2020) El decreto 4302 amplía el plazo de la cuarentena nacional, condicionada y dinámica dispuesto por el Parágrafo I del Artículo 2 del Decreto Supremo N° 4276, de 26 de junio de 2020, hasta el 31 de agosto de 2020.

Viet Nam Social Security (28.07.2020) The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control has just issued Official Letter 3949/CV-BCD on strengthening the assurance of COVID-19 epidemic prevention for experts entering Vietnam. Accordingly, the units that invite experts for business ensure that they participate in international health insurance or agencies or organizations must make a commitment to pay their treatment expenses in case of the experts being infected with COVID-19.

Services Australia (28.07.2020) We’ll continue to waive some waiting periods for new claims until 31 December 2020. This includes the: Ordinary Waiting Period, Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period, Seasonal Work Preclusion Period.

Department of Education, Skills and Employment (28.07.2020) Mutual obligation requirements will continue to be gradually introduced. From 4 August 2020, job seekers must be willing to accept any offer of suitable paid work and penalties will now apply if a job seeker refuses a job without a reasonable excuse.

Services Australia (21.07.2020) The income free area for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance for job seekers will increase to $300 per fortnight. The income free area is currently $106 for JobSeeker Payment and $143 for Youth Allowance. This means you can earn more but still get the maximum payment rates. If you earn above $300 per fortnight, your payment reduces by 60 cents for each dollar over this amount. From 25 September 2020, means testing will be reintroduced. This includes asset testing for all payments.

Services Australia (21.07.2020) The Australian Government is extending the Coronavirus Supplement until 31 December 2020. The Coronavirus Supplement of $550 per fortnight is available until 24 September 2020. Beyond this date, the Coronavirus Supplement will be available at $250 per fortnight until 31 December 2020.