Minister of Public administration, Ms Suzana Pribilović, held a meeting today with the representatives of diplomatic and consular representations and international organization in Montenegro. Mr Gregor Virant, SIGMA director and Mr Hermann Spitz, Head of Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Montenegro delivered addresses at the meeting organized to mark three years since the establishment of the Ministry of Public Administration.
While presenting key results achieved in the public administration reform in the last three years, Ms Pribilović said that Ministry had initiated and implemented many projects aimed at improving public administration work and achieving goals stipulated in the Strategy for the Public Administration Reform.
She said that foundation of the Ministry of Public Administration had set conditions for the intensification of the reform process.
“Several activities are under way, and are aimed at consolidating systems and providing citizens and economy with high-quality and efficient services#, said Ms Pribilović.
According to her, Montenegro’s Government is committed to digital development and modernization of public administration.
“Application of IT, interoperability, e-administration and open data form basis for the overall improvement of public administration and enhance efficiency and quality of the services it provides”, said Ms Pribilović.
Ministry of Public Administration has undertaken activities to establish National Identification document in Montenegro.
“Progress we have made proves that citizens’ satisfaction with provided services has increased. Government and the Ministry will work on the activities which are important for further improvement of public administration”, said Ms Pribilović.
Mr Hermann Spitz, Head of the Cooperation Section in the EU Delegation to Montenegro, said that establishment of the Ministry of Public Administration had been Government’s strategic response to the need for the intensification of the public administration process and creation of system that would provide faster, better and cheaper service.
Not only is the Ministry carrying out a deep transformation in relations with citizens and economy, but it’s also doing it in the structure and organization of public administration.
He said that legislative framework in the domain of servant system at central and local level had improved considerably. State administration, Mr Spitz added, has been re-organized by reduction in the number of authorities and establishment of more clear lines of responsibility.
“Digital revolution has become priority if this administration. It recognizes the need for radical changes of its business processes as manner for stimulating social and economic development”, said Mr Spitz.
He pointed out that Optimization Plan had slowed down the increase in employment. He also pointed at the shortcomings in the system that need to be eliminated.
SIGMA director, Mr Gregor Virant, said that almost all indicators showed that Montenegro “is a leader in the region, in many categories”.
Mr Virant stated that establishment of the Ministry had been Government’s right move.
“In three years, Ministry of Public Administration has done a lot, it has made considerable progress in many areas, it has established a high-quality legislative framework in the organization of public administration. In that context, Montenegro is better than many EU members”, said Mr Virant.
SIGMA measurements showed that Montenegro has made great progress in 2019, especially in the domain of service provision and in the segment that shows the degree of the development of public administration.
