Croatia Online – There Is No Escape from the Benefits of Digitalization

In recent days, the author of this article experienced the benefits of digitalization. He called his doctor and asked him to issue a prescription for a medication he is already taking. ‘The medication is already at the pharmacy,’ the doctor said after a few seconds of clicking on the computer monitor.

Until recently, we would have to go to the doctor, wait in line to be seen for that minute or two it would take to fill the prescription. This is indeed a significant time saver, and digitalization has already taken hold in other areas, making it easier for citizens and businesses to fulfill their obligations.
Similar is the case with e-ordering in healthcare, as reported by the Croatian government, which has been operational since early 2013, and so far, 2.2 million examinations have been ordered this way. How are new trends reflected in various sectors of government responsibility? We present an overview of some examples that show that citizens’ lives have been significantly eased, and we are yet to see the development of new applications.

Closer to home, the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) has enabled citizens to obtain an electronic personal identification card (eOI) on which an identification certificate can be stored, used for electronic identity confirmation and authentication when accessing electronic services, as well as a signature certificate that supports advanced electronic signatures and replaces handwritten signatures, both of which can be used in combination with a personal PIN. Additionally, the MUP has a mobile service office.
– This is a service vehicle and recently a box that serves for administrative tasks. They are primarily intended for citizens living in remote and poorly connected areas, the elderly, sick, less mobile individuals, and persons with disabilities, but also for all other citizens who wish to conduct administrative tasks closer to their homes – they say.
Moreover, negligent drivers can pay fines via POS devices and thus halve fines up to two thousand kuna by paying immediately, which, they say, has affected the total number of fines paid at the place of the offense compared to the time when POS devices were not used. Another project – eRedomat – was launched at the end of 2013, and it includes taking numbers in waiting lines on-site, ordering via the internet and mobile applications, and checking the waiting line, i.e., when a person should come up, and it is divided into several phases accordingly. It is expected that the project will be completed nationwide next year. The MUP is also preparing the e-police project, which is expected to standardize the work of police officers, increase operational efficiency, rationalize costs, and ensure faster and higher quality work.
The advantage of the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning is the information system for spatial planning – ISPU – an application that integrates the Geoportal, Cadastre, and spatial plans into one whole, allowing the end user, i.e., every citizen, easy access to information about spatial usage rules, plans in development, and reports on public discussions.
– The goal of ISPU is to make the spatial planning system transparent, accessible to everyone, and to enable easy oversight and control of all processes occurring within it – they say in the Ministry.
Also, the e-permit for construction, which is available nationwide, allows for a very simple, quick, and wait-free submission of a permit application, with issuance waiting only a few days, which is a significant advancement. The development of the e-real estate application is underway, based on which appraisers and citizens will be able to check the value of real estate at any time – it will be defined, for example, that an apartment of a certain size, on a specific street, on the second floor has a certain value. Thus, approximate methods will also allow for determining the value of an apartment on the first or tenth floor, three streets away, or in another neighborhood.

Multiple Directions The Ministry of Public Administration also boasts about its work on shortening various procedures through digitalization. They have introduced the e-Citizens system, opening up direct communication with public administration for citizens. Everything is now much more transparent, and they cite the use of the same credentials for all e-services as an example. Namely, they explain, before the introduction of the e-Citizens system, each institution issued its own credentials for accessing e-services.
– We direct the development of services towards life situations, grouping them and forwarding data accordingly. One example of integrated services is the e-registration with the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute and the Croatian Health Insurance Institute. Employees register only with the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, and the data is then electronically forwarded to the Croatian Health Insurance Institute – they explain.
The e-Citizens system is continuously developing in several directions. For less mobile citizens or those living abroad, it is now possible to obtain access data through a power of attorney system, including the option to register via internet banking; enabling registration for citizens of other EU member states in the e-Citizens system; allowing the need for e-services on behalf of a child and generally on behalf of another individual or legal entity.
Another direction of development is the improvement of existing and the development of new e-services, such as the delivery of utility bills, certificates of non-existence of criminal prosecution, confirmations of regular schooling and studying, records of income and receipts, with additional emphasis on areas where citizens want new e-services, such as: finance and taxes, health, rule of law and security, education, work, consumer rights, traffic and vehicles, business, family and life, active citizenship and leisure, housing and environment, veterans, tourism, and culture.
In this way, citizens do not have to worry about many things as they actively receive information about obligations and rights, and on the other hand, they can participate more actively in the development of new functionalities and e-services. Thus, they note, users of public services increasingly share their experiences and suggest improvements through the e-Citizens Contact Center, via email, and the government’s accounts on Facebook and Twitter. They say that greater efficiency and rationalization of public administration will lead to faster returns on invested funds and reduced product prices, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the Croatian economy.
On the other hand, they say, this has also changed the culture of employees in public administration, and at the same time, it has allowed employees in administrations to focus on other tasks since citizens can now perform part of the public administration tasks themselves.