Prishtina, 17 May, 2024
The e-Komuna platform was launched today, which will facilitate citizens’ access to municipal public services, through the e-Kosova state platform, a platform supported by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, as the line minister for municipalities.
In his introductory speech, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that today we are launching a number of new services in e-Kosovo, within the framework of digital transformation as a key driver for more transparent, accountable and efficient governance. “This transformation enables better services for citizens and businesses, starting from public administration, health, and education, and including every area of governance and the economy.” added the prime minister. He also recalled the success of the state platform e-Kosova, which already has 880,000 registered users, and offers over 155 electronic services.
Emphasizing that services should focus on the citizen and the fundamental principle of inclusiveness, Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that the platform we are launching today will offer a number of new services.
“These services increase the interaction between municipal bodies and citizens, making the citizen an active part of decision-making and making him be informed in real time about relevant developments in his municipality,” said the Prime Minister. He also emphasized that this platform will improve transparency and accountability within municipal administrations, through real-time updates and access to important information.
The Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, said that through this platform the opportunity is offered for citizens to be informed in real time, to have open, accessible data and to increase the interaction between citizens and municipal bodies.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Bardhyl Dobra, stated that the Public Administration Reform aims to improve the quality of work in our institutions and the services they provide to citizens and businesses. “It has already been seen in practice that Public Administration Reform and digitization are inseparable processes”, he said.
Meanwhile, at the end there was also the presentation of six new services offered by the e-Komuna platform, which are: live broadcasts of municipal assembly meetings; report the problem to your municipality; communicate with the municipal official; initiate and contribute to public debates about your municipality; information on municipalities and the wealth of municipal officials.
Prime Minister Kurti’s opening speech:
Thank you, dear Mr. Muhamet Quni,
The honorable Mr. Elbert Krasniqi, Minister of Local Government Administration,
The honorable Mr. Bardhyl Dobra, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs,
Dear mayors of municipalities, vice mayors of municipalities, directors and other representatives of municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear media representatives and employees,
Ladies and gentleman,
Dear attendees,
Digital transformation is the key driver for more transparent, accountable and efficient governance. This transformation enables better services for citizens and businesses, starting from public administration, health, and education, and including every field of government and economy.
Therefore, through the new e-Government strategy, we have started a series of reforms in the development of digital governance, starting from the advancement of digital infrastructure, the implementation of modern technologies, the construction of the government-wide architecture, the creation of the framework for data governance, up to the development of unified standards for designing services.
And when we talk about services, the goal is not just their digitalization. Services must be redesigned so that they focus on the citizen. We are in the phase of piloting the approach of providing services, based on the life events of citizens. We started with the life event of the birth of a child and we are automating the registration and benefit services for new parents who will be able to receive them proactively from the state, without visiting the counters of various institutions.
In addition, the basic principle when providing services is that of inclusiveness. In the journey to digitalization, we must ensure that no citizen is left behind. We must make sure that the benefits of digitization are also enjoyed by those who do not have access to technological equipment. Therefore, we are in the process of architectural and functional design of the first integrated service center, where citizens will have the opportunity to receive various quality services, in a single location, with the help of supporting officials.
While our commitment to digitization is unwavering, we are also committed to making this transformative process safe. Based on the cyber security strategy, we are working on strengthening institutional structures, advancing the legal framework, developing technological and human capacities in cyber security.
Within the e-Kosova state platform, which already has 880,000 registered users, today we have over 155 electronic services, including digitized civil status certificates, property certificate and plan copy, property tax invoices and traffic fines, continuation of vehicle registration, criminal history certificate, as well as applications for allowances, benefits, grants and various subsidies. And those electronic services that are paid for can also be paid directly online at E-Kosova.
While today we are launching a number of new services in e-Kosova, within the category of e-Komuna. These services increase the interaction between municipal bodies and citizens, making the citizen an active part of decision-making and making him informed in real time about relevant developments in his municipality. Through live broadcasting of municipal assembly meetings, debate with municipal officials, reporting of problems, and access to information, the goal is to create a direct line of communication between citizens and their elected officials at the local level.
Furthermore, this platform will improve transparency and accountability within our municipal administrations. By providing real-time updates and access to relevant information, we empower active citizenship and foster a more collaborative and participatory approach that strengthens local democracy.
In the end, I want to express my thanks to the Ministry of Local Government Administration, for the work and commitment in the development of services in the category of e-Komuna, which we are launching today. Our government remains committed to increasing the use of digital technologies for the economic and social development of our country. We will continue with the development of innovative services centered on the citizen, always bearing in mind the importance of services at the local level in the daily life of every citizen.
Thank you!
Last modified: May 17, 2024