Yesterday, PARCO in BiH organized a round table where legal experts from SIGMA – OECD and all levels of government in BiH discussed normative and practical aspects of the law in administrative procedure in BiH.

Deputy State Coordinator, prof. Dr. Ferid Otajagić explained that administrative decision-making is a key issue in public administration reform.

“The goal is to present and analyze normative solutions in the laws on administrative procedures at all levels, to present certain problems in the practical application of LAPs through the participation of non-governmental sector practitioners and ministries,” Otajagić said in a statement for Fena.

Finally, he added, we present positive solutions of countries in the region and positive practices that would lead to the modernization of administrative procedures, more efficient, simpler, faster and cheaper realization of the rights and duties of parties in administrative procedures.

The modernization of administrative procedures also implies digitalization, which has been in practice in the surrounding countries.

He reminded that some elements of the Strategy of Public Administration Reform in BiH, which was adopted in 2006, were incorporated by the Brčko District and Republika Srpska entity into amendments to the law on administrative procedures, in terms of modernization, but that the entity of the Federation of BiH did not make changes. According to some information, the draft amendment to that law is on the table of the Government of Federation of BiH.

It is true that the Federation of BiH has lagged behind with the amendments to the Law on Administrative Procedure, but today we have initiated and coordinated issues with representatives of SIGMA, which is the first partner of the PARCO, in order to make current administrative procedures in BiH, to modernize it, that is, to make easier, cheaper and faster realization of the rights and duties of entities, which are citizens, legal entities and other informal groups,” he said.

In addition to SIGMA representatives, in the round table also participated representatives of the Ministry of Justice of BiH, the Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Justice of the Federation of BiH, the Ministry of Justice and Administration of Sarajevo Canton, the Appellate Commission of the Brcko District of BiH, the Administrative Inspection of BiH, the Administrative Inspection of Republika Srpska, Administrative Inspections of the Brčko District of BiH, the Appeals Council of the Council of Ministers of BiH, the Board of Appeals of the Republika Srpska, the business entities and civil society organizations.

Given that the Public Administration Reform Strategy in BiH treats administrative procedure as a key aspect of reform that improves the quality of public services, and raises the issue of administrative decision-making as a central issue in public administration reform, PARCO wants to strengthen the rule of law, the rule of regulations and legal security in BiH, through numerous activities because the ultimate goal is public administration reform in BiH.