Pristina, December 12, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated today in the launch of the Digital Governance Strengthening Project for Service Delivery, organized in partnership with the World Bank. According to Prime Minister Kurti, this event marks the beginning of an important chapter in our country’s digital transformation journey, aimed at modernizing governance and improving the delivery of public services through digital innovation.
“The Digital Governance Strengthening Project for Service Delivery, which we are now referring to shortly as Digital Kosova, is an ambitious initiative that embodies our commitment to modernize the delivery of public services and to build a strengthened digital government for our citizens,” he expressed.
With a shared vision and commitment, Digital Kosova has been co-designed and financially supported by the World Bank, with a budget of 18.5 million euros, while the Government of Japan, through two grants totaling 800 thousand dollars, has supported the start of many preliminary and preparatory activities that are a great help in implementing the planned reforms within the Digital Kosova Project.
Through the grant from the Government of Japan, we are now finalizing the design of the first integrated service center, which will operate as a physical one-stop-shop where citizens can receive government services in one location, with the assistance of public officials. The Digital Kosova Project will enable the implementation of this initiative,” added Prime Minister Kurti further.
Furthermore, the “Digital Kosova” project will also contribute to the further advancement of the E-Kosova portal, which has over 986,000 registered users and nearly 200 launched online electronic services, placing the citizen at the center and organizing services around his life events. In this context, the Prime Minister emphasized the vital event of childbirth, stating that the new project will enable this approach to be expanded to other vital events of each citizen of our Republic.
In accordance with the European Union-agreed growth plan, we have pledged to digitize 50% of public services by 2027, with the aim of digitizing 100% of key public services by 2030, which is the goal of European Union countries, as defined in the European Union’s 2030 digital decade program.
Prime Minister Kurti concluded his speech by stating that today, December 12, 2024, marks the Digital Independence Day of Kosovo, while noting that Kosovo has progressed from Group C of countries with limited focus on digital transformation to Group B of countries with significant focus on digital governance.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Honorable, Mr. Xhelal Sveçla, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo,
Honorable Mr. Fabian Seiderer, Manager of the World Bank for Governance, Public Sector, and Financial Management for Europe and Central Asia,
Honorable Mr. Massimiliano Paolucci, Manager of the World Bank for Kosovo and North Macedonia,
Honorable, Mr. Milot Cakaj, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Kosovo,
Honorable Mr. Keisuke Yamanaka, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Japan in Kosovo,
Honorable representatives of the government cabinet,
Deputy Minister Dobra,
Honorable representatives of institutions, embassies, development partners from the private sector, and civil society,
Honorable attendees,
Ladies and gentleman,
Today we are marking the beginning of an important chapter in the journey of digital transformation of our country. The Digital Governance Strengthening Project for Service Delivery, which we are naming today shortly as Digital Kosova, is an ambitious initiative that embodies our commitment to modernize the delivery of public services and to build a strengthened digital government for our citizens.
Digital Kosova is more than just a project; it is our shared vision, goal, and commitment. Co-designed and financially supported by the World Bank, this initiative with a budget of 18.5 million euros aims not only to drive the advancement of digital governance but also to redefine the approach of public administration to service delivery. It is directly linked to our e-Governance Strategy 2023-2027, offering more than 50% of the budget and enabling the implementation of a third of the activities of the three-year action plan of this strategy.
In the core of the Digital Kosova project lies a simple fundamental principle: the public administration exists to serve the citizens. Our strategy aims to build a public administration that is transparent and accountable through digitalization in its efficient and inclusive work in providing services, as well as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth. This transformation is not only about the application of systems and technological tools, but it is also linked to the state’s approach to the citizen, with better listening and understanding of his needs and expectations, as well as creating a new mindset and a culture of advanced work in public administration.
With over 986,000 registered users and nearly 200 launched online electronic services, E-Kosova has now become a well-established pillar of our e-Government. The number of service transactions in E-Kosova has doubled within a year, from 1.92 million services in 2022 to 3.84 million services in 2023. The “Digital Kosova” project will contribute to further advancing the functionality, performance, and security of this central window of services for our citizens and businesses.
The success of digitalization is not only measured by the number of digital services, but also by their simplicity, accessibility, and active utilization. This requires a redesign of processes, placing the citizen at the center and organizing services around his life events. We are now implementing this approach in the crucial event of childbirth, and the new project will enable this approach to be extended to other important life events of each citizen of our Republic.
Inclusivity is a fundamental principle of our governance, so our path towards digitalization is crucial to guide it with this principle, ensuring that nobody is left behind. We must ensure that even those citizens who do not have direct access to digital devices benefit from the advantages of digitalization. Thanks to the grant from the Government of Japan, we are now finalizing the design of the first integrated service center, which will operate as a physical one-stop-shop where citizens can receive government services in one location, with the assistance of public officials. The “Digital Kosova” project will enable the implementation of this initiative.
Kosovo’s advancement in digital transformation is acknowledged in the World Bank’s GTMI index, as it has moved from Group C of nations with limited focus to Group B of countries with substantial emphasis on digital governance. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of work for us to do. In line with the growth plan agreed with the European Union, we have pledged to digitize 50% of public services by 2027, while our goal is to digitize 100% of key public services by 2030, which is the aim of the European Union countries, as defined in the European Union’s 2030 digital decade program.
The “Digital Kosova” project will play a crucial role in achieving these objectives. At the same time, we are very happy that our digital journey is now being supported by other important projects with development partners such as USAID, GIZ, the European Union, and UNDP, which complement the Digital Kosova Project. Collectively, these initiatives will facilitate our nation’s swift and secure progression towards digitalization.
The process until the ratification and operationalization of this project has been long, and we are deeply grateful to the Government of Japan, which through two grants totaling 800 thousand dollars has supported the start of many initial and preparatory activities that are of great assistance for the implementation of the planned reforms within the Digital Kosova Project.
In conclusion, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the World Bank team for their unwavering cooperation and commitment, who together with our digital transformation unit have made this project a reality.
Digital Kosova is not just a government initiative and cannot be achieved solely by the Government.
The digital transformation journey we are following requires collaboration and partnership with the private sector, academia, civil society, as well as active engagement and involvement of citizens.
Therefore, as we officially inaugurate the start of this project, I invite you to work together for Digital Kosovo, which will contribute to making our country more developed, prosperous, and stronger.
On December 12, 2024, we celebrate Digital Kosova Independence Day.
Thank you!
Last modified: December 13, 2024