Canton of Bern

The Canton of Bern is also promoting digitization in a targeted way: Bern’s cantonal administration wants to provide a simple, secure digital channel to supplement physical correspondence. That’s why it launched “BE-ePost” in cooperation with Swiss Post.

Initial situation and challenge

The Canton of Bern promotes digitization in a targeted way

The Act on Digital Administration entered into force on 1 March 2023. This means that the “digital first” principle now applies to public administrations in the Canton of Bern. Residents and businesses should be able to communicate digitally with the state in future. For this reason, Bern’s cantonal administration wants to provide a simple, secure digital channel to supplement physical correspondence.

The solution

Receive and pay invoices sent by the tax administration digitally with “BE-ePost”

“BE-ePost” is based on Swiss Post’s ePost App and is a digital mailbox where users can now receive, store and process documents from the cantonal administration easily and securely in digital format. For example, users can pay invoices directly in the ePost App in just a few clicks. The use of “BE-ePost” is voluntary and free of charge.

As a first step, the Canton of Bern’s tax administration sent over 560,000 invoices for the first cantonal and municipal tax instalments. Natural persons liable to pay tax can now also receive these invoices digitally in the ePost App. Digital receipt of instalment invoices from the tax administration was another step towards greater digital correspondence between the canton and its residents.

«Integration into the ePost App is a strategic step for the Canton of Bern. The secure sending and receipt of digital mail from the cantonal administration lays the foundation for implementation of the ‘digital first’ principle at the cantonal administration.»

Beat Jakob, Head of the Office for IT and Organization, Canton of Bern

Benefits and advantages

• The ePost communication platform enables simple and secure digital communication with residents and companies alike.
• An innovative mailing platform that authorities can use to send information in a recipient-oriented way via the most popular channels, such as ePost, eBill, SMS, e-mail or physical post.
• The communication is sent simply, securely and digitally via the ePost oneAPI interface and delivered by ePost, while maintaining mail secrecy in residents’ or business customers’ digital or physical mailboxes.
• Delivery is automated, via the preferred channel and at optimized costs. This enables high-volume senders to achieve high digital penetration for their communication processes and ensures verifiable sending processes and channels.

«Studies indicate that residents want access to public sector information and services at any time and from anywhere. Swiss Post meets this requirement and provides an innovative, user-friendly and secure solution in the ePost App. As such, Swiss Post is helping to make communication with public administrations even easier.»

Martina Müggler, Head of E-Government at Swiss Post