Grkovska: The awareness that transparency of institutions is an obligation has yet to be created

Slavica Grkovska
Photo: Government of RSM

We need to create the habit and awareness that the transparency of institutions is an obligation, said the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of good governance policies, Slavica Grkovska, at the presentation of the Guidelines for Improving the Transparency of Public Sector Institutions, at which journalists presented numerous examples the silence of the authorities when it comes to information that affects everyone. As the latest example, the situation with the Health Insurance Fund (FZO) was pointed out, whose two directors have never appeared in public since their system was hacked 12 days ago.

- We have no way of knowing when a citizen or media will request information from an institution. If someone doesn't notify us about it, we can't know if and when someone requested and received the information. That's why the media is here to inform. Taking into account the circumstances, in the specific situation with the FZO, the assessment of the institutions is how they will communicate this to the citizens. There were announcements from the FZO and here the public was not denied information, and whether and when the director will appear before the public depends on her assessment. I believe that she will go public when she has something to announce - explained the minister.

And regarding the remark that the information and announcements coming from the institutions very often do not offer answers to the questions and are without content, she emphasized that the habit and awareness that the transparency of the institutions is an obligation has yet to be created.

- The data and information available to the institutions belong to all citizens, not to the institutions, and they should share them with the public as soon as possible - she added.

This is exactly the purpose of the presented guide, which includes an analysis of institutions from 38 sectors for what citizens most often require from these institutions. In addition, the document contains an analysis of the Law on Free Access to Public Information and explanations of how it regulates the rights and obligations of the parties in the mediation procedure with public information.
The guidelines were prepared by the Center for Change Management and the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, within the framework of the project "Encouraging Good Governance and Reforms in Public Administration".

And while the institutions have yet to study the guidelines, and in the country, starting from 2011, the fifth National Action Plan for Partnership for Open Government is being implemented, the international organization World Justice Project (WJP) in its report for 2022, according to the openness index of The government ranks Macedonia in 70th place on the list of 140 countries. With the index of 0,50 according to the openness of the Government, Macedonia is in a similar position in this ranking as in the past few years, but, however, in a less favorable position compared to 2015, when its index for the openness of the government was 0,57 .

The Openness of Government Index list is part of a broader survey of perceptions of the rule of law that WJP tracks in 140 countries and draws on more than 110.000 surveys of experts and the general public. Performance is assessed using 44 indicators in 8 categories, each of which is scored and ranked globally and regionally. Overall, according to the rule of law, Macedonia is in 63rd place, with an index of 0,53.

The Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, on the other hand, last week prepared the report on the implementation of the priority area: "Transparency, accountability, proactivity and inclusiveness October 2021 - October 2022" from the fifth National Action Plan for Partnership for Open Government .

– The greatest improvement or advancement was observed in the publication of data on civil society organizations, as well as in the part of the publication of information of a public nature by the institutions. As many as 92 percent of institutions as holders of public information submit reports to the Agency for Free Access to Public Information, which, in turn, integrates them into its own reports. These two commitments are rated as "stellar commitments" in this priority area - the report says.

The author of the Report highlights the active work of the Agency, as an institution that is particularly dedicated to improving the active transparency of information holders.

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