Reducing Municipal Phone Handling Workload with AI: Bonginkan Launches 'MARIA AI Phone' Implementation Support Package for Local Governments

## Reducing Municipal Phone Handling Workload with AI: Bonginkan Launches 'MARIA AI Phone' Implementation Support Package for Local Governments

Bonginkan Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroki Tsubouchi) announced on May 19, 2026, the launch of an implementation support package for its AI phone service for local governments, 'MARIA AI Phone.'

This package was developed to reduce the workload of municipal phone support desks and improve resident services, achieving 24/7 automated first-level responses via AI. Based on deployment expertise gained in municipal environments, the company has established a support system that enables low-cost and short-term implementation.

### Background: Increasing Phone Handling Workload in Municipalities

At municipal offices, responding to resident inquiries by phone has become a significant workload for staff.

In particular, during peak periods for inquiries such as taxation, family registers, childcare support, benefits, and vaccinations, phones keep ringing, often pressuring the execution of core duties.

Furthermore, handling inquiries outside office hours and repeating answers to the same questions pose challenges in terms of human costs and psychological stress. While municipal DX (Digital Transformation) has advanced in recent years, issues such as 'resident support that cannot be solved by online applications alone' and 'on-site challenges where phone windows cannot be completely eliminated' have become prominent.

MARIA AI Phone was developed to support the resolution of these on-site municipal challenges.

### Features of MARIA AI Phone

With MARIA AI Phone, residents can make inquiries through natural conversation without the need for push-button operations.

The AI automatically provides first-level support 24/7, streamlining routine inquiries such as FAQs and procedural guidance.

For complex consultations, the AI summarizes the content of the conversation and hands it over to the appropriate department, aiming to balance staff workload reduction with improved resident satisfaction.

Additionally, it supports continuous improvement through the storage and analysis of call logs, and allows for customization tailored to the operations of each municipality.

It can be utilized for a wide range of inquiries that occur daily at municipal windows, including resident registry, taxes, vaccinations, facility reservations, and disaster prevention guidance.

### About the Implementation Support Package for Local Governments

In this package, the company provides comprehensive support from implementation design to operational assistance, based on its track record of municipal deployments.

Leveraging expertise gained on-site, including the implementation in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture, the company enables low-cost implementation with minimized initial expenses and a quick start of operations. It also covers post-implementation improvement proposals and operational support.

By performing flexible design tailored to the operational flow and inquiry trends of each municipality, the company supports AI phone operations suited to the on-site environment.

### Future Outlook

Through MARIA AI Phone, Bonginkan Inc. aims to support the DX of phone windows in more municipalities, contributing to improved resident services and increased administrative efficiency.

Going forward, the company will continue to promote the construction of new resident touchpoints using AI, while considering functional enhancements tailored to the challenges of each municipality and coordination with AI avatars.