Round Table on Strengthening Political Support for Public Administration Reform Held in Orašje

Round Table on Strengthening Political Support for Public Administration Reform Held in Orašje

 

In cooperation with the Government of Posavina Canton and with the support of SIGMA, the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office of BiH and the Federal Ministry of Justice organized a round table at the Navis Hotel in Orašje. The event focused on strengthening political support for the public administration reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the opening of the event, speeches were given by Mirsad Ahmetović, Minister of Justice and Administration of Posavina Canton; Darko Kasap, Public Administration Reform Coordinator of BiH; Željko Škarica, Public Administration Reform Coordinator of the Federation of BiH; and Đuro Topić, Prime Minister of Posavina Canton.

The round table was also attended by SIGMA representatives, Egle Rimkute and Goran Forbici, as well as representatives from the Delegation of the European Union to BiH, cantonal governments, and public administration reform coordinators.

The event featured presentations on public administration reform activities at the Federation of BiH level, the Law on Civil Service, and the e-Government Strategy, as well as the potential role of cantonal coordinators in the public administration reform process. The main topics of discussion were strengthening political support for the reform process and SIGMA’s assistance in preparing a roadmap to bolster political support for the reform.

“First and foremost, I thank the Prime Minister of Posavina Canton, Đuro Topić, for agreeing to host this round table. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an extremely complex country when it comes to self-governance. The cantons were, to a certain extent, left out during the drafting of the Strategic Framework for Public Administration Reform and the Action Plan. However, the Strategic Framework itself provides for the possibility that the Federation of BiH, through its cantonal public administration reform coordinators, can have its own body—one that every government possesses—to act together in implementing the Action Plan and planned activities. A similar meeting was held five years ago in Sarajevo when we adopted the Strategic Framework for Public Administration Reform. However, due to political instability in the country, the reform was halted until 2025. Today, we have an Action Plan that has been sent to all governments for adoption, and we plan to implement it by 2027. When it comes to the Federation, it is crucial to actively involve the cantons. This is precisely why today’s round table was held,” stated Darko Kasap, Public Administration Reform Coordinator of BiH.

Today’s round table represents an important step forward in including the cantons in the public administration reform process at the Federation of BiH level. Public administration reform cannot and must not be limited to the institutions of the Council of Ministers of BiH, the entities, or Brčko District—it must be comprehensive and include all levels of government that have a responsibility to citizens. Cantons are key to implementing many reform measures, whether it’s the professionalization of civil servants, the digitalization of administration, or the modernization of services. Through political responsibility, we want the cantons, together with their ministers and prime ministers, to actively participate in BiH’s public administration reform, because without them, the reform will not be complete or sustainable.

In this context, I want to emphasize that the Public Administration Reform Coordinator of the Federation of BiH, with our technical support, plans to visit all cantons. The goal of these visits is to engage in direct dialogue with representatives of cantonal governments, line ministries, and reform coordinators to jointly identify the specific challenges, needs, and opportunities of each canton.

Furthermore, the Public Administration Reform Coordinator of the Federation of BiH announces additional activities that will involve all line ministries and coordinators from the cantons in thematic meetings, joint planning, and the concrete implementation of reform measures. Only an open and partnership-based approach can ensure progress that citizens will truly feel.

“Today from Orašje, we are sending a clear message: cantons are not and must not be observers but active participants in this process. Without them, the reform cannot be complete or sustainable,” said the Public Administration Reform Coordinator of BiH, Darko Kasap.

“I am pleased that a round table is being held in Orašje today and that we will contribute to accelerating the public administration reform process in BiH. Representatives of the Federation’s cantons are here, and we in Posavina Canton are striving to create the conditions for a modern, fast, and efficient public administration in cooperation with our two municipalities and one city. We started the digitalization process together with the University of Mostar, and I believe it will take several years, but in the end, we will digitalize all services, allowing citizens to complete most of their tasks from home, via the internet, without the need to go to offices and counters,” said Prime Minister of Posavina Canton, Đuro Topić.

The Action Plan has been agreed upon at all levels in BiH. As for the Federation, all opinions have been collected, and we expect the Action Plan to be sent to the Government of the Federation for adoption next week. So far, the Federal Ministry of Justice has already undertaken certain activities in line with the Action Plan, particularly in the area of digital transformation. The Law on Administrative Procedure has been amended to allow for the use of electronic documents and electronic signatures, and a single administrative point has been established where citizens can submit multiple requests related to a specific administrative matter.

“The goal of today’s round table is to strengthen cooperation between the Federation and the cantons, as we soon expect the adoption of the revised Action Plan and enhanced cooperation between the Federation and cantonal authorities. I hope this will be the first step toward greater and more successful cooperation,” stated Željko Škarica, Public Administration Reform Coordinator of the Federation of BiH.