This Italian region now has Europe’s highest Tibetan bridge
It’s not for the faint-hearted
The initiative launched by the Finnish capital doesn't require an active internet connection
The City of Helsinki has launched an initiative to encourage elderly residents to pay bills electronically. Helsinki has teamed up with lobbying group Finance Finland (FFI) to launch the pilot project, which starts in November. The city has taken direct debiting into use so that customers without access to online banking service can also benefit from electronic payments.
The initiative is planned to run for half a year. The target group of the project are residents aged over 65 who receive invoices from Helsinki social care and health care services. The project has two main aims - to find digital solutions that facilitate seniors’ payment of bills and to boost the efficiency of the city’s financial management.
Residents of Helsinki will be encouraged and supported to use e-invoicing systems and direct debits to pay care bills, with a focus on those who already use online banking services.
Helsinki has been offering e-invoicing since 2007, but only a fraction of consumers have taken the leap away from paper. E-invoices comprised around 30% of the 1.2 million invoices sent by the Municipality. In 2018, only 14% of invoices sent to social and health care service customers were electronic.
Some of the advantages of the e-invoicing are the reduced chance for typing errors and for payment delays. Furthermore, digital money also removes the need to carry cash, which improves the safety of seniors. Every citizen of Helsinki who receives bills for their care has received in addition a letter in which the authority encourages them to use e-invoices.
In February 2020, 800 senior citizens will take part in a half-day seminar in central Helsinki, featuring presentations from organisations including FFI and banks. Organisers hope to also attract relatives and helpers alongside those receiving care services.
After the end of the six-month project, recommendations will be compiled for boosting e-payments in Helsinki, as well as other municipalities across Finland.
What are the reasons for that and are there any possible solutions for that problem?
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
It’s not for the faint-hearted
Presenting the next chapter in the Dutch capital’s ‘Stay Away’ campaign aimed at rowdy tourists
The City says this has become a necessity due to the increasing number of incidents involving these vehicles
That way you can notify a canal lock keeper to open the gates so the animals can swim through
The organizers had been considering different Parisian spots, but always with the idea of the flame being visible to the people
Electricity production in that Eastern European country will not release direct CO2 emissions anymore
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
This initiative is not just about making books more accessible – it has larger ambitions in its sights
We owe the unusual cultural icon to this country in Europe
The country’s capital has been a pioneer in crafting policy and initiatives to improve coexistence between people and pets
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team