Digital transformation in partnership with the economy, startups and the non-governmental sector
The Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Dr. Mihailo Jovanović, with the permanent representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Serbia, Jakup Beriša, and the executive director of NALED, Violeta Jovanović, visited the premises of the Digital District, which will soon start working within the House of eGovernment, in the new creative and digital center Ložionica.
UNDP and NALED are long-term partners of the Office for IT and e-Governance and relevant ministries and other institutions of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in many public administration reforms, such as the reform of the application of seasonal workers in agriculture via a mobile application, the establishment of an IT solution for the application of freelancers, the reform of building permits and the establishment of a central record of the unified procedure, the reform of flat taxation, support for cashless payments and the implementation of the program "Get an account and win". Due to the jointly implemented reforms, they also participate in the launch of the Digital District, as a gathering place for all those interested in the further digital transformation of public administration.
- The Digital District is a place where the public administration establishes a partnership with the economy, startups, the non-governmental sector, the academic community and international partners, in order to jointly develop new electronic services and further improve the digital transformation in the public sector. Our goal is for this center to become the driving force behind the modernization of the entire country and a clear example of how through partnership with UNDP and NALED and many others, with the exchange of knowledge and experience, we can create services that are simpler, more accessible and more useful for citizens and the economy. I am convinced that this kind of cooperation will enable digitization to remain one of the main pillars of the social and economic development of Serbia - said the director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Dr. Mihailo Jovanović.
Among the latest initiatives launched by the Office, precisely in cooperation with UNDP and NALED, as well as the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government, is the "eGovernment for All" program, through which ten local governments will get the opportunity to, with professional and technical support, improve their digital capacities and bring electronic public services closer to citizens. Local governments will receive support through field work, training and development of promotional materials for the introduction of specific electronic services.
- For UNDP, Ložionica and the Digital District represent an important step towards more inclusive and sustainable digital services throughout Serbia. Together with national partners, we will support local governments to improve electronic services, in accordance with the needs of citizens and businesses, so that everyone can equally benefit from digital progress. The Digital District will also be a place where citizens can actively participate in the creation of digital services, test them and give feedback - so that public services are shaped by those for whom they are intended - pointed out the permanent representative of UNDP, Jakup Beriš.
- The digital district in Ložionica is a turning point in the development of digital services in Serbia. The eGovernment for All project will, through training and mentoring support, strengthen the capacities of local self-governments to provide efficient and modern electronic services for citizens and the economy, thereby contributing to a more even digital development of the entire country - said the executive director of NALED, Violeta Jovanović.
