Public Administration Reform is Basic Precondition for EU Accession

Transparency International and Center for Investigative Reporting presented in Sarajevo today the project ‘Monitoring of Public Administration Reform’, whose goal is to increase transparency in public administration reform in B&H.

The project authors emphasize that the reform of public administration is the basic precondition for EU accession and for increasing the efficiency and efficacy of state, entities and institutions of Brčko District. The reform is guided by the framework of the Strategy for Public Administration Reform and includes activities aimed at improving strategic planning, public financing, human resources management, administrative systems, communications and e-government.

‘’We all know that public administration reform process has been ongoing for around ten years. However, when it comes to results, we still think that they are not satisfactory, that it is necessary to invest much effort so that B&H citizens would have the type of administration that they expect, which is independent and not politicized’’, said Director of Transparency International B&H Srđan Blagovčanin.

Srđan Blagovčanin pointed out that research has shown that the biggest problem in the process is the absence of political will to reform public administration.

Executive Director of the Center for Investigative Reporting Lejla Bičakčić said that politicians have to be aware that they are elected by the citizens, and that the goal of the project is to improve communication through a series of investigative stories with the public, and in this way contribute to democratic dialogue of citizens and institutions in B&H.

The reforms have so far proceeded slowly, and the results are very limited, found in the study.

‘’Public administration reform is a very long and demanding process. We opted to accept the European standards and principles in order for the B&H administrative space to correspond with the administrative space in EU countries. Reform of public administration has been ongoing since 1996. The results that we have achieved are halfway, because through this process four levels of government are involved’’, said the national coordinator for public administration reform Semiha Borovac.

‘’The government of the Kingdom of Sweden continues to support the process of public administration reform, but we expect more concrete results. The aim is to create the preconditions for a more transparent, efficient and effective public administration in B&H and to be at the service of all citizens’’, said Ambassador of Sweden to B&H Fredrik Schiller.

Human resource management in public administration, public finance management and transparency, accountability and integrity of public administration are issues that Transparency International B&H and the Center for Investigative Reporting will focus on.

(Source: ekapija.ba; Photo: ekapija.ba)