We view the digital transformation process that drives change as a chance for the accelerated recovery and growth of the Montenegrin economy, as well as for reducing the country’s dependence on tourism. With almost 25 years of doing business on the Montenegrin market, Telenor wants to be a leader in this process
The mass shift to working from home didn’t represent something new for Telenor, and it enabled the company to provide citizens and business clients with numerous new services, says Telenor Montenegro GM Branko Mitrović.
“At Telenor we already had a strong culture supporting work from home for a certain number of days for all our employees. We were therefore fully prepared to face the crisis once it started. In situations and within roles where this is not entirely possible, such as in our retail segment and with our engineers in the field, we focus on providing the highest safety measures for both employees and customers. We use online working tools successfully and have built a strong culture of trust, responsibility and commitment, which is why we switched to the new way of working without any major challenges,” explains our interlocutor.
“Knowing how much the pandemic is affecting each person, family, company and the society as a whole, we have focused on those areas where we see our clear contribution. By building new base stations and upgrading existing ones at more than 50 locations in 2020, we have increased the coverage and capacities of the Telenor network to enable strong connectivity to Montenegro’s citizens and institutions. We launched the Learn at Home add-on to support online teaching, thus enabling students in Montenegro to access teaching content free of charge. We also provided for the paying of bills online without commission, through the My Telenor application, while our employees and the Telenor Foundation donated funds and protective equipment to the health system.
We believe that we will continue the practice of open dialogue and good cooperation with the institutions of the Government of Montenegro, with the aim of further advancing Montenegrin society
What messages can be drawn from the current digital transformation in Montenegro and what should be the next steps?
– By definition, digital transformation is the integrating of technology into all areas of business. It fundamentally changes the way we do business and brings extra value to customers. The situation with COVID-19 showed that digital transformation and an agile way of working represent the most adequate response to the altered circumstances. Montenegro has recognised this opportunity, which is why development of the 2021-2025 Digital Transformation Strategy of Montenegro is underway.
It is crucial to providing an adequate regulatory framework that will form the basis and act as an incentive for projects and cooperation among all relevant factors on the path of digital transformation, with the predictability and transparency of the business climate. We expect the drafting of the Strategy to set the pace for the digital transformation of Montenegro.
In which areas does MFIC have the expertise required to assist in this process?
– I would like to thank the Montenegrin Foreign Investors Council for supporting the electronic communications sector, and for working jointly with us on improving the business and regulatory environment. Through continuous dialogue with public institutions, we are working on overcoming the challenges faced by our industry, which are presented in detail in the MFIC White Book. During the previous period, the Council advocated actively for the abolition and revision of local charges and other taxes, as barriers to doing business, and participated in the drafting of relevant by-laws. A relationship of trust, exchanges of experience and good business practices has been created among MFIC members, and this newly created strength should, and can, help in the process of digitally transforming society.
