Digitalization of the German Federal Administration May Lead to Job Cuts, Says Bitkom President
The president of the German digital association Bitkom, Ralf Wintergerst, has warned that a comprehensive digitalization of the federal administration could lead to a significant reduction in the number of employees. In an interview with the “Rheinische Post”, Wintergerst stated that the personal needs of the administration could be reduced by a two-digit percentage due to the automation of administrative tasks.
To achieve this, the president emphasized the importance of a broader use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the federal administration. “It is crucial to quickly make the AI tools that have already proven themselves in individual departments available to the entire federal administration” he said.
However, Wintergerst did not only focus on the use of AI. He also called for the abolition of traditional formalities, such as the personal signing of contracts and the acceleration of digitalization in all areas. Furthermore, he urged the new government to take effective measures within the first 100 days in office.
The topic of job cuts in the federal administration has been a topic of discussion in recent weeks. On Sunday, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) confirmed in an ARD interview that he had informed his ministers that, for example, the federal administration could also reduce its personnel in the future. The coalition agreement mentions a planned reduction of eight percent in the number of federal administration employees.