The interview with the professor Gregor Virant, PhD, expert of the Technical Assistance team of the European Union Delegation (EUPAR), who has participated in drafting the Revised Action plan 1, has been published by “Oslobođenje” on Sunday, March 14, 2011.
1. Mr. Virant, several years ago, you have been the public administration reform leader in Slovenia, as a head of the newly-established ministry in the Government of Janez Janša.
What are the experiences of your country in this area?
The public administration reform in Slovenia can be divided in three phases. First phase represented the independent state establishment after 1991, when the public administration had to overtake all the functions of the former federal government. Second phase has been connected with the EU Integration. That was a time when we have practically changed the complete systematic legislation. Third phase has been directed to improving the service quality, simplifying procedures and electronic service. Citizens and business subjects have felt this phase the most. The emphasis was on de-bureaucratization, simplifying procedures, abolishment of administrative barricades, improving administrative environment for companies and the establishment of electronic services.
Shortening of the procedures
2. What were the concrete benefits for citizens and the business world?
I can count several concrete and larger successes. For example, in 2003 we have changed the Law on administrative procedure and have established the system in which the government authorities may not demand from their clients, citizens or companies any kinds of confirmations, certifications, listings, or any other kinds of arguments on facts that are being evidenced in official registrars. This has shortened and simplified procedures and brought savings for citizens and companies. Therefore, it is not possible today for the administration to ask a citizen for some kind of listing or certification from the master registrar or land book. Administration itself must collect those papers. Second thing was a project “One Stop Shop”, which has enabled economic society and independent entrepreneurs for finishing all administrative obligations (for starting their business) at one location, in 45 minutes, without filling out forms and free of charge. This project has received the world award of the UN organization. There were also some other simplifications that have contributed to savings of millions for economy and citizens.
3. What was the importance of things that have been done for Slovenian way to the EU?
Surely, the integration of Slovenia has drastically lifted the level of quality of public administration. The candidate state must fulfill the so called Copenhagen criterions, which means that it has to build the public administration able to implement the European legal order or acquis communautaire. Significant systematic reforms are required on the way. We have practically changed the complete systematic legislation in the public administration area, and it was necessary to build the administrative capacities by specific sectors as well. Let’s say, agriculture, concurrence protection, internal market, food safety etc. The EU integration has had an impact on lifting the internal public administration quality in the first place, which has enabled the public administration to direct itself towards citizens and companies in the next phase. Your way to the EU will surely have an impact on improving the public administration quality.
4. How much do you know of what has been done so far in BiH on its way to the EU?
I am informed that the PAR Strategy has been adopted in 2006, that some goals have been achieved and some activities implemented, but that there are still certain differences between progresses at different government levels. The new Action plan for four years has now been prepared, and it contains a lot of concrete goals, among which are the idea on collecting data by official duty and establishing some inter-department electronic services, for example electronic vehicle registration, etc. On the professional level, the Action plan is ready and it is waiting for the Council of Ministers of BiH and the governments to adopt it, which also means establishing the new government. When speaking of that, I would point out that the political support and political leading are very significant for the successful public administration reform. If the politics does not work, there is no success for the reform.
5. In what measure does the complex constitution-legal system of BiH affects this process?
It surely makes the public administration reform harder. But, that is not a barricade that BiH would not be able to overcome. It is significant that the reform is being implemented at all government levels. Because, it is not only about the public administration reform; it is about four or fourteen public administrations. Each government level is competent for its public administration, which means that the politics must play its role at each level. The Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office exists since 2006. It coordinates between all the government levels. It has played a positive role and I think it will remain the same way in future, because the coordination pays off. Basically, standards of the modern public administration are the same in all countries. There is a trend of convergence, harmonization of public administrations in the EU. From the other side, if those processes are coordinated, there are savings in it. Let us say, funds from the Pre-Accession Assistance and technical assistance can be spent in a more rational way if the projects are being implemented at all government levels. If we build one information system, which will be used at all government levels; it will surely be less expensive than having each level invest in its projects individually.
6. In what measure are the experiences of other countries applicable in BiH?
Perhaps the experience of Slovenia is applicable for some government levels. For BiH, as a whole, experiences of some more complex federal countries, as are Germany or Belgium, are probably more applicable. I think that BiH is more complex than any other EU country. One of your entities is federally arranged, which is very complex. However, this is not a barricade that cannot be prevailed, if there is a will for the EU integration.
E-government advantages
7. In 2007, the E-government of Slovenia has been at the second place by the quality according to the EU measurements Cap Gemini. What does it, actually, look like?
All the processes inside the public administration have been informatized: going from managing documents, personnel, financial processes, government sessions, legislative procedures, etc. There are qualitative databases and data registrars that are very significant for government functioning. E-government also means that the information on hundreds of administrative procedures is available to citizens and companies on the E-government portal, and more than 100 services are available at the transactional level. For example, in Slovenia, you can extend your traffic license, register your company or register yourself as an independent entrepreneur over the internet. All transactions with public administration related to taxes, registering workers, pension and health care insurance, reporting on statistic data, an existing company can do over the internet.