Businesses demand local digitalization/ KI: Businesses want online services, but 47% still trust physical counters
The process of digitalization at the local level is seen by the business community as a necessity to improve the quality of public services and reduce the administrative burden. However, according to the perceptions of businesses themselves, municipalities are still not treating the private sector as a strategic actor in local development.
During the analysis of the strategies and documents of local self-government units, it is noted the lack of performance indicators that measure the quality of services provided to business, despite its considerable financial contribution. According to the official report of the Albanian Government on the assessment of municipalities, municipalities with low business density rely more on economic assistance, while business revenues, especially from the infrastructure impact tax for new constructions, constitute 54.7% of local taxes, becoming an important source for local economic and social development according to the document of the Investment Council.
Businesses say that digitalization can be a facilitating instrument, as has happened with digitalized services at the central level, but remain reserved about its current effectiveness in local government. According to them, local administrations still lack the professional and institutional capacities to guarantee a smooth transition to digital services.
Although most businesses support the expansion of online services, 47% of them continue to prefer physical counters. The demand for physical interaction remains high, reflecting the need for a well-managed transition phase. Businesses propose the establishment of dedicated physical offices that would function as assistance points for the use of new systems and for resolving technical issues. The Investment Council's findings state that digitalization would have a direct positive impact on reducing costs, lost time and bureaucracy. In conclusion, businesses require municipalities to have a more strategic commitment, increase administrative capacities and a determined, but measured and gradual digitalization process, to avoid mistakes in the re-engineering of services and guarantee a real improvement in the quality of public services.
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