Loznica is not reducing the pace that brought it the title of the fastest-growing local self-government in the provision of eServices. The City, which previously gained recognition at the first eGovernment Olympics, has also secured a leading position in the implementation of the eZup system, implemented the pilot project for the address register etc.
Our ambition is to take a leading role in this sector in Serbia in the period ahead, says Mayor of Loznica, Vidoje Petrović.
Loznica is one of Serbia’s most successful local self-governments in the field of eGovernment. How did the development of eServices evolve in your city and how many of them do you offer today? What’s new in this domain?
– Loznica was one of the first cities in Serbia, back in 2010, to update the work of the eGovernment internet portal, with 24 services from our jurisdiction. We currently provide citizens and the economy with 31 services, and in the following period, we have genuine ambitions to assume the leading role in this sphere in Serbia.
During last year’s visit of Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Loznica was assessed as an excellent example of good practice, and that’s precisely why we were entrusted with the implementation of the pilot project “Address Register of Towns and Municipalities”, which we have completed successfully.
By introducing the eZup information system, Loznica became the number one city in terms of the number of electronic transactions in data exchange procedures available in the form of assemblage referred to in Article 12, Paragraph 4 of the Regulation on the acquisition and transfer of data and the facts that provided the basis for keeping official records.
This relates to 2,500 electronic transactions. We are also very proud of the award for the best e-government, which we previously received from the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Directorate for e-Government.
We currently provide citizens and the economy with 31 services, and in the following period we have genuine ambitions to assume the leading role in this sphere in Serbia
How do you evaluate progress in the field of payment methods for services on the eGovernment portal, the possibility of using payment cards, expected eBanking etc.? Do you think the services that can now be fully implemented online will become even more accessible/affordable?
– By introducing the possibility of paying with cards on the eGovernment portal, cities and institutions, including our city, will move even closer to citizens. They will now be able to file requests, obtain documents and pay for the service all in one place. It is good that the Portal is keeping pace with the trends and needs of citizens.
Which areas will be in the focus of digitisation in Loznica in the period ahead? What are the key challenges awaiting you?
– By starting from the desire to increase the efficiency of the work of the City Council, we achieve savings and enable a larger number of users to search for information simultaneously, while two years ago we practically introduced the first level of digital delivery of all materials that follow the decision making of this body. The first results of the process were seen in a short period, with better quality discussion, a faster decision-making process and significant monetary savings.
This is the best promotion of our efficiency, so now the need for similar digitisation of the local assembly is imposing itself. This is a slightly more demanding job. However, starting from the example of the City Council, I believe we will soon also be able to boast of our achievements in this innovation. The actual flow of sessions will be shorter in relative terms, with all records, transcripts and decisions necessary for processing becoming more comprehensive.