Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546553
More than a website For most people, dealing with government services is simply about getting things done. Whether applying for a benet, starting a business, becoming a parent, planning for retirement or simply renewing a document, the question is rarely which ministry or department is responsible. It is much simpler: What do I need to do, and where do I start? That is the problem Malta's revamped Servizz.gov.mt portal is designed to solve. Launched with a fresh look and new articial intelligence tools, it aims to change the way citizens interact with public services. The new Servizz.gov.mt moved away from a system built around Government's internal structures, towards one organised around citizens' lives. This made the provision of public services simpler, more personalised and more responsive to the realities of everyday life. This matters because the Public Service oers hundreds of separate services. Thus, the revamped servizz.gov.mt is increasingly designed around what people themselves are trying to achieve. To this end, the portal introduces a Life Events approach. Rather than searching through government departments and individual services, users can nd information organised around situations such as starting a business, having a child or preparing for retirement. It is a simple change in presentation, but one that can make public services considerably easier to navigate. One of its most practical innovations is the Benet Finder, which helps users identify services and benets they may be entitled to but might otherwise never discover. This is done by answering some basic questions such as income, household and residential status. This feature could make a real dierence to families, older people, workers, entrepreneurs and others navigating important changes in their lives. Articial Intelligence is also being used to make the experience more immediate and personalised. Users will now be able to follow applications, track active cases and receive relevant notications. Other features of the revamped servizz.gov.mt include online appointment booking for professional one-to-one tax assistance and identity card collection, as well as a chatbot providing immediate assistance. Services remain available in both Maltese and English. Importantly, the portal was designed with citizens, rather than simply for them. Its development drew on international research into leading digital public services in countries including Estonia, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Singapore, alongside local focus groups involving people with dierent needs and levels of digital experience. Their feedback helped identify where existing systems could be made clearer and more useful. The scale of public use shows why such improvements matter. In 2025, Servizz.gov.mt recorded more than 738,000 users and over two million page views. Even small improvements to the way people nd and access services can therefore have a substantial impact. The recent launch of the revamped portal also marks an important step in Servizz.gov's wider digital transformation programme. Its development was not only based on international best practice and public feedback, but also on internal service data and reporting which continue to guide improvements. This means that the portal is intended to evolve over time, responding to how citizens actually search for information, access services and seek support. Malta's Public Service has already been recognised by the European Commission as a European leader in online government services. The new Servizz.gov.mt builds on that progress, but its real measure of success will be much more straightforward: whether citizens spend less time searching, understand more easily what they are entitled to, and get the help they need when they need it. That is ultimately what digital transformation should mean: not technology for its own sake, but public services that t more naturally into people's lives and make a tangible dierence to their everyday experience. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 SEPTEMBER 2026