27 5.1.1 Public Awareness and Readiness to Use E-Opportunities By evaluating reasons which determine Latvian inhabitants’ e-skills indicators, it is ascertained that they are affected by lack of understanding and motivation regarding necessity of acquiring eskills, individual’s emotional barriers to use ICT tools independently, as well as irregular and fragmentary State support to enhance e-skills acquirement. Communication with the State and institutions is possible both in person and electronically. Communication in person historically is considered to be a convenient communication channel taking into account inhabitants’ habit to socialise. Inhabitants cannot overcome stereotypes, they fear anything new and unknown, fear to dare to take an advantage of the offered e-Opportunities. In most cases inhabitants as well as entrepreneurs do not exploit electronic options as they are not aware of the advantage provided by digital skills. A survey carried out in 201229 showed that 39% of respondents admit that information regarding e-services of State and local government services is not available in sufficient amount. Large part of public has difficulties to get used to innovations and new technologies, besides considering information in mass media, a notion has occurred that the electronic environment is not secure and reliable. Due to the above mentioned public stereotypes and insufficient acquirement of e-skills, a situation in Latvia has developed where the State has produced and offers e-services significant for public, however, invested actions and means to develop e-services have not been sufficient to facilitate achievement of the average level of e-services usage in the EU, as well as more rapid development of e-commerce and remote work options. As an additional essential aspect of the exploitation of electronic environment, is inhabitant knowledge about Internet security. Since 2009 Latvian Internet association Net-Safe Latvia within Safer Internet centre action framework, in cooperation with partners and receiving 75% co-funding from EU Safer Internet programme carries out educational work in the field of Internet content safety, ensures operation of Hotlines (to report on illegal and harmful Internet content), as well as cooperates in the operation of SIPCR Children and teenagers hotline 116 111 providing possibilities to children and teenagers to report on violation in the Internet and to receive a support of a psychologist. The deadline to receive co-funding for the mentioned activities is October 31 of 2014. In order to ensure continuation of the activities after the deadline, appropriate funding has to be anticipated. Additionally, it should be noted that the implementation of the mentioned activities is performed centralised by merging functions of several institutions. Commenced work has to be continued and considering that the collaboration of the several involved institutions will be necessary for the coordinated implementation of activities, a united model of further collaboration of institutions has to be developed, and distribution of institution competences distribution has to be set. The said issue has to be solved within the framework of the State ICT security strategy development. Required Actions 29 Evaluation of public opinion regarding utilisation of e-services in Latvia. December of 2012. http://www.varam.gov.lv/lat/publ/petijumi/pet_Eparv/?doc=14321 information_society_development_guidelines_2014_2020.docx; Information Society Development Guidelines 2014-2020