mGovernment develops in Croatia

Mobile government is already widely available here via the NI Direct and www.gov.uk platforms and is now taking shape in the EU’s newest member state.

Croatia’s e-Citizens project, launched in September, provides the option of opening an inbox through which citizens can receive and respond to a range of information from public services e.g. passport expiry and tax return dates, birth certificate forms, and GP registrations.

It is based on IBM infrastructure z12EC 703 and its mPretinac application provides real-time alerts for new messages on mobiles and smart devices. This contributes to the Ministry of Public Administration’s e-Croatia programme.

“The robust mainframe platform will enable us to transfer selected eGovernment services directly to a mobile platform, enabling flexible working and providing citizen services anytime, anywhere,” said Zdravko Dragievi who manages the project for private sector partner APIS IT. “We estimate that our operational efficiency will increase as a result of using the most reliable and secure platform on the market.”

Croatia is the EU’s newest member state, having joined in July 2013. It also has one of the highest rates of internet access in South East Europe.

Around 70 per cent of households own a computer and two-thirds of the adult population use the internet. Ninety-five per cent of companies have internet access and 61 per cent have a working website.