Special recognitions awarded for contribution to reforms

At the 13th Annual Conference on Economic reforms, NALED traditionally awarded special recognitions to prominent individuals and teams in public administration who, in cooperation with NALED, contributed the most to the implementation of the Grey Book recommendations, but also to overcoming obstacles and challenges imposed by the pandemic.

The award winners for 2021 are State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Slavica Savičić and Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment Mihailo Jovanović, and a special team recognition was awarded to Assistant Minister of Health dr Goran Stamenković, Assistant Minister of Education dr Milan Pašić, Assistant Secretary General Danijel Nikolić and Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office Stefan Badža.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Slavica Savičić won the Recognition for exceptional contribution to the improvement of the regulatory framework for doing business in Serbia and the creation of economic measures to support the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also earned the award for her role in implementing the Grey Book recommendations and key measures of the National Program for Countering Shadow Economy, including reducing payroll taxes, introducing tax exemptions for business beginners and innovators, and digital fiscalization and electronic invoices. She also contributed to the organization of the third cycle of the "Get the receipt and win" prize game, which is organized in order to suppress shadow economy by strengthening the citizens’ awareness and motivation to pay cashless and take fiscal receipts after every purchase.

The Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Mihailo Jovanović, was awarded for his exceptional contribution to the establishment of a unique system for effective immunization against COVID-19 and the introduction of new electronic services for citizens and businesses on the eGovernment Portal. As the director of the Office for IT and eGovernment during the last year, he was also responsible for the introduction of electronic delivery of the cadaster’s decision in the e-mailbox on the portal, which completed the process of electronic registration in the cadaster. Currently, in cooperation with NALED and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development within the "eDelivery" project, their team is conducting trainings for local officials who will help citizens and businesses to open accounts on the eGovernment portal, in order to improve the use of electronic services and electronic document delivery.

The team recognition for joint contribution to the improvement of the business environment and overcoming the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic went to dr Goran Stamenković, Assistant Minister of Health, who was in charge of more than 240,000 epidemiological oversights through coordination of inspections, and Milan Pašić, Assistant Minister of Education, for improving online learning, Danijel Nikolić, Assistant Secretary General of the Government, who played a central role in securing donations for the healthcare system, and Stefan Badža, Adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, to remove administrative barriers to doing business during and after the state of emergency.

NALED traditionally awarded special recognitions to media representatives as well. Ilija Cerović, acting Director of Belgrade Television and Editor-in-Chief of the educational and scientific program of Radio Television of Serbia, for promptly organizing online learning and cooperation with NALED on the implementation of the "Magic is in teachers’ hands" national competition, as well as Aleksandar Milošević, Economics editor in the Danas daily newspaper, for quality public reporting on measures and initiatives to improve the business environment and overcome the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pademic.

During the state of emergency, Radio Television of Serbia redirected its production capacities so that lessons would be available to all students in primary and secondary schools in an incredibly short time, while the Danas daily newspaper showed the greatest openness to NALED's proposals for supporting the economy during the most challenging months in the midst of a pandemic and promoting the solidarity of socially responsible companies with vulnerable local communities.