French Government To Go Fully Paperless by 2020

French Government To Go Fully Paperless by 2020
France has published a decree requiring all public sector organisations to use paperless billing and processing by 2020. Les Echos reports that large companies supplying the public sector will have to switch to electronic billing in 2017 and the smallest ones in 2020. On the basis of 95 million invoices processed annually, the government expects to save EUR 710 million a year, including EUR 121 million in financial savings and the remainder in man hours, or the equivalent of 11,925 full-time jobs.

Businesses are estimated to save EUR 335 million, EUR 83 million of which in financial gains and the remainder in reduced personnel costs. The government deployed an e-billing platform called 'Chorus Factures' in January 2012, but it has been underused. A new portal will be set up at an estimated cost of EUR 40 million over five years. IT service providers are awaiting the launch of the new government project and the potential contracts it will offer.