Turkey’s Multimillion-Dollar Savings Plan For E-Invoicing

Turkish officials have big expectations for the nation’s recent enactment of digital procurement practices. According to recent reports, the nation’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority has recorded significant spikes in the use of digital signatures and e-invoicing last year; the data show that 1.7 million e-signatures were used in 2014 alone.

Yuksel Samast, who serves as the head of the government’s leading provider for digital documentation, predicted that in only a few years the use of digital invoices and e-signatures will multiply. “By the end of 2020 we expect the number of people who own an e-signature to hit 5 million and secure email accounts to reach 8 million,” he said.

Digital invoicing in the government’s procurement process alone could save Turkey significant funds. This year, Samast said he expects the nation to save more than $750 million from e-invoicing, a figure predicted to rise in the coming years.

Reports said Turkey will likely implement digital documentation tools beyond invoicing, too, as e-identification, electronic payroll and other legal documents will likely be digitized in the near future.

The success of the Turkish government’s digitization process follows recent efforts by officials to use innovative tools to combat the nation’s shadow economy. Earlier this year, Turkey’s Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek introduced the nation’s five-year plan to combat rogue government spending, and e-procurement was named as a major contributor to that fight.

Among the first industries to adopt digital invoicing and procurement strategies, the official said, would be the nation’s health care and tourism industries. Efforts would also be made to increase the digitization of government archives to strengthen audit efforts.

While the measures aim to promote cost savings in the government, the electronificiation of government documents and payment processes is also aiming to increase transparency of federal spending behavior, reports said.