Distributed Ledger Technologies in Public Services

Report detailing Distributed Ledger Technologies in Public Services.


10. Appendix: Netherlands Use case detail

Focus of pilot

Government Organisation

Brief description of pilot

Current status

Digital Identity

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Sharing specific information only in a specific context. Each citizen would have control over which data s/he would share with whom.

Building a prototype for age control while purchasing specific goods, such as cigarettes or alcohol

Execution of a judicial decision of juvenile court

Ministry of Justice

Use blockchain for the registration of labour that has been completed by minors against sentence for minor crimes.

Building a prototype

Changing role because of blockchain

Court of Audit

Considering how the Court's role would change if it had real-time access to the data and intervention happened at an earlier stage. Compliance could be built into the financial rules via blockchain.

To be determined

Information sharing during a criminal trial

Ministry of Justice

Blockchain would become a security/truth layer 'on top' of the existing systems through creating a log of what information was shared with whom at what time. This could prevent proceedings from being paused as a result of the claim of one of the parties involved not to have received a piece of information.

Involving multiple stakeholders to determine viability of developing a prototype

Authorisations in the healthcare process

Healthcare Institute

Blockchain is being used to create a clear overview of authorisations in the healthcare process. The pilot has developed a prototype on Ethereum, which allows involved healthcare providers to get real time information on a need to know basis about their client/ patient. The client/patient has more control over his data and can determine—via an application—which professional can get access to additional information.

Testing phase with prototype

Optimising the subsidy process

Province of Noord-Brabant

Using blockchain technology and smart contracts, exploring whether it would be possible to reduce the time to get through the administrative and financial processes for applying a subsidy for the disposal of drug waste from 13 weeks to 13 minutes.

Completing additional research into the judicial applications of a blockchain driven subsidy process

FlashCompany

Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber looked into the possible benefits of establishing a temporary organisation (a FlashCompany) on the blockchain in order to collect money for a good cause. It found that for the registration process (online), opening a bank account (can be linked automatically) and selecting conditions for establishing and ending the temporary organisation, blockchain was a viable solution. Using smart contracts for donations ("If this video has 1000 views, I will donate 100 Euro") was identified as a further benefit.

Developing a prototype of a FlashCompany

Registering a ship

Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency

Blockchain-based registration of ships. The system is more user-friendly for the owner of a ship that only needs to fill in a registration form. Upon registration, a "file" on the blockchain is created which triggers requests to, e.g. the builder of the ship, who then adds information to this file. The Cadastre doesn't have to manually check each set of documents but gets a notification when data of the parties involved in the registration of a ship don't match.

Developing this concept with TU Delft

Improving Request for Legal Aid

Legal Aid Board

The Legal Aid Board wanted to verify whether blockchain could create a faster, more secure automated process for the attribution of legal support focusing on requests for legal support. The added value of blockchain was an error free log of available lawyers, however third-party information sources (e.g. Tax Agency) was an outstanding challenge.

Next steps to be determined

Smarter Tax Revenues

Tax and Customs Administration

The Tax Agency created a use case that makes it possible to redistribute tax money as soon as it gets deducted from an employee's income. The most fundamental shift was that entire data was combined into one dossier that was managed by the citizen involved. That citizen would have better understanding about who has (or wants) access to his/her data.

Further research by the Tax Agency, mapping legal implications of a blockchain based Income Tax System

Transport of toxic waste

Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate

The HETI rethought the entire paper intensive process of transporting toxic waste from the Netherlands to another EU State in order for it to get disposed. The complex process involves multiple stakeholders: the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (HETI), its foreign counterpart, the company that wants to dispose waste, a transport company and the company that will take care of the disposal. All notifications during this logistical process could now go through different applications; approval for a transport could be automated based on a smart contract on the blockchain.

HETI involving all stakeholders to build first prototype i.e. the smart contract on the blockchain, including smartphone applications

Contact

Email: Alexander Holt

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