Only 28 per cent of the adult population uses e-government services, while 56 per cent having more faith in traditional face-to-face services, a research commissioned by the Malta Information Technology Agency shows.

While 63 per cent have an e-ID, only 39 per cent use it to access online services.

Project leader Sarah Farrugia said that one of the reasons for these low figures was the lack of uniformity and user-friendly facilities on the sites.

The general feedback about the services showed that people were satisfied with the services offered, but many expressed the need for better guidelines.

Project coordinator Joanne Deguara said MITA’s aim is to see an 8.5 per cent increase in use by December 2016, as well as a national action plan based on the project’s finding.

Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Jose Herrera said e-government services were a way to increase the efficiency of government services.

“The challenge right now is not the technological infrastructure but ensuring that users are taking full advantage of what is actually available,” he said.