Information Technology firms encouraged to offer services to Improve Local Government functioning

 A conference on modernising local government through e-services and a ICT Fair were organised today at the Rogner Hotel. 

Thursday, July 10th, Tirana – Introducing ICT and e-government solutions was the theme of the conference and fair organised at the Rogner Hotel. Hosted by the Minister for Innovation and Public Administration and the Swiss Cooperation through Decentralization and Local Development Programme (dldp), the conference presented and discussed ways of modernising local government in Albania. E-government for open and transparent governance, interaction between central and local governments, and public-private partnerships with ICT service providers were the main issues discussed by presenters and participants. 

“I believe that we can build on a bulk of evidence showing that electronic platforms contribute to facilitating governance processes, improving communication with citizens, increasing transparency and accountability, and ultimately result in a better governance and more satisfied citizens”, said Holger Tausch, Head of Mission a.I. at the Swiss Embassy and Director of Swiss Cooperation in Albania. “I am encouraged by the renewed focus from the government on increasing and promoting digital and e-services for citizens and businesses. By joining our institutional strengths and committing to agreed-upon national strategies I am sure that many new solutions will be effective at local government levels“, continued the Swiss representative. 

In her speech the Minister for Innovation and Public Administration, Milena Harito emphasised the new vision and impetus that the Government has for accelerating ICT and e-government in order to increase transparency and improve services by the public administration structures. “What I want to share with you today is how to develop the combination of ICT for all public services. Today, we are in a new area, where all public services should be online. If we can`t provide them online, we must at least strongly support the infrastructure with technology and to improve the way these services are provided to citizens”, said Minister Harito. [click here to read more]  

The conference continued with presentations by representatives and experts from government and international institutions, like AKSHI, QKR, PLGP/USAID and DLDP experts. Previous good practices related to e-government were discussed and during the final session private ICT businesses had a chance to present their products and services that could benefit local government. A list of conclusions and recommendations for further steps were provided near the end of the conference. 

The event ended with an ICT Fair where private ICT companies were able to showcase their advantages and offer cooperation to state institutions. Public-private partnerships are seen as an effective way of introducing better e-services throughout government service provision. 

Information and Communication Technologies are expected to have an increasing role in government service provision and Swiss Cooperation’s Decentralisation and Local Development Programme (DLDP) has introduces several innovative solutions such as One Stop Shops in seven local government units in Northern Albania, websites for local government units and training in e-government for municipalities and communes. On the other hand, the government through the Minister for Innovation and Public Administration has determined three priorities that involve the increase of digital and e-services for citizens, the massive introduction of ICT in education, and the consolidation of digital infrastructure throughout Albania. 

Download the presentations:
AKSHI – nderveprimi ealbania
DLDP – funksionet vendore – zgjidhjet TIK
FLAG Presentation eGov Fair
PLGP për e-Qeverisjen
QKR Prezantimi