Opačić: Digitalization Facilitates Work, but is Inconvenient for Those Who Want to Conceal Their Inactivity and Misconduct

‘Open Government – the Path to Smart Government, Review, Status and Perspectives’ panel discussion at the Lider conference ‘Smart Government’ gathered as many as nine ministers from the current government who shared their experiences with digitalization in the public sector in front of a packed Vatroslav Lisinski hall.

– We found ourselves in a situation as if we were in the last century. We started to organize things first in our own houses, and then towards citizens and economic sectors. Digitalization facilitates our work, but it is inconvenient for all those who want to conceal their inactivity and misconduct – opened the discussion at Lider conference ‘Smart Government’ Milanka Opačić, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Social Policy and Youth, and Chair of the Commission for Coordination of Digitalization in the Public Sector.

That the best proof of the success of digitalization in Croatia is the recommendation of foreign officials was pointed out by the Minister of Construction and Spatial Planning Anka Mrak-Taritaš.

– In the first 9 months of this year, we issued 621 building permits in less than 5 days. When Polish entrepreneurs praise you, then you know you are valued – elaborated the minister.

Finance Minister Boris Lalovac shares a similar opinion, who sees the Czech minister as the best promoter of the Croatian model of fiscalization, and herself as a miracle of data. The biggest problem faced by Health Minister Siniša Varga in his sector is waiting lists, and the digitalization of that order, which at one point included a million people, was a salvation for the Croatian healthcare system, says Varga.

– E-Records are small segments shown in the promotional film (which preceded the panel discussion) that we implemented. In 2012, everything functioned at a low level, and over 12 million kuna was spent. It was unclear whether e-Records were just expensive statistics and what their function was. We cut costs in half and achieved incomparably better results – shares his experiences Justice Minister Orsat Miljenić, adding that the judiciary is specific because no one can force judges to introduce e-Records if they do not want to.

Minister of Education, Science and Sports Vedran Mornar believes that thanks to digitalization, 40,000 children have been enrolled in schools that best suit them, while in the future he hopes for a hybrid of teachers and computers that will assess students most accurately. Minister of Public Administration Arsen Bauk announced the Croatia 20/20 strategy, whose priority is the education of officials. Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure mentioned the construction of aggregation and access networks, while Minister of Labor and Pension System Mirando Mrsić is proud of the PPP project, mentioning public administration as the biggest obstacle in the digitalization process.

– Today, when we talk about public administration, speed is the only important thing. If we talk about the reform of the public sector, then we can say that it has already begun in Croatia – explained Darko Parić, ‘digital champion of the government’, announcing that the next step is the digitalization of the business sector.