The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojkovic opened the conference “e-Parliament in city and municipal assemblies” stressing how the introduction of e-Parliament improves both efficiency and transparency.
Speaking at the meeting in Novi Sad, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Gojkovic said that Serbia is committed to reform one of the goals of which is the introduction of e-governance to facilitate the citizens’ access to government services.
“The parliament contributes to these modernization and digitalization efforts by passing laws and monitoring their implementation”, said Gojkovic adding that Serbia, as an EU hopeful, is ready to accept the EU standards and practices in the field.
The introduction of e-Parliament in city and municipal assemblies is essential in that context, Gojkovic said stressing that any progressive democratic society requires an open parliament.
“We have to keep fostering and nurturing understanding and trust between us, the bearers of political office and the citizens who elect us. Transparency of our work is of paramount importance for building that trust, and that is achieved by the introduction of e-Parliament as seen on the example of the National Assembly where e-Parliament has boosted both efficiency and transparency”, said the National Assembly Speaker.
Gojkovic said that due to the results it had achieved the National Assembly has been globally recognized as a best practice example, as evidenced in the fact that the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme mention the Serbian Assembly as an example of digitalization and parliamentary openness in the second Global Parliamentary Report and a series on studies on Sustainable Development Goals and Open Government Partnership.
Gojkovic said that the road to e-Parliament is peppered with challenges stressing that as a society we should not fear new technologies and should take an active part in their introduction.
“The goals are clear and achievable – greater efficiency, time and money saving, fewer cases of abuse, and especially the citizens’ acceptance and trust in the institutions”, said Gojkovic stressing that these were the cornerstones of a modern society built to catch up with the modern world and make Serbia a modern 21st century state.
