Employers looking to employ foreigners, including third-country nationals, could soon upload documents online instead of queuing in front of Identity Malta offices ifor hours, Parliamentary Secretary Julia Farrugia Portelli said.

Speaking during the presentation of a report on simplification measures, Ms Farrugia Portelli said a pilot project would allow employers to apply for permits and submit documents of their prospective employees online.

Currently, employers arrive at Identity Malta with a pile of applications, with some having to queue for hours to be able to apply, she said. 

The pilot project would focus on two particular industries and authorities were hoping it would be implemented by the end of the year, Ms Farrugia Portelli said.

Identity Malta also recently extended its opening hours and removed capping on the tickets given to those waiting in the long queues, she said. 

Speaking at the launch of the report in Castille, Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar said the authorities would also be looking into including artificial intelligence into the public sector. 

AI could help service-users not only by responding to people's needs, but could help them decide on the next steps, Mr Cutajar added. 

Going to the public sector would no longer be a burden and accessing services would no longer be difficult or complicated, he said. 

He also added that a report on budgetary implementations would be issued in the coming months.

"We want to be clear about what we have accomplished, where we have not accomplished it and why it’s not been accomplished," he said.

Over 75 per cent of proposals were implemented in 2018, Mr Cutajar said. 

Among the measures implemented, there are now three one-stop-shops covering family services, taxpayer services and the education sector. 

Over 70 services can now be accessed through mobile application Maltapps, Mr Cutajar added.