The Government of the Republic of Macedonia and Microsoft Launch New E-Government Services for Citizens
New Offerings Reflect Government Commitment to Increasing Access and Promoting Growth Through Technology
The government of the Republic of Macedonia and Microsoft Corp (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced the launch of several new e-government services that will help improve access and promote online interaction among the citizens and the Macedonian government. Created under the existing Strategic Partnership Agreement, the new services include creation of a centralised and standardised information portal featuring services available for all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, a new internet portal for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Macedonia to create an online presence, and an intranet productivity portal for the government itself.
"With the launch of these new services, the government of Macedonia is providing our citizens with important access to the main services of the public administration. We are happy to have worked with Microsoft to develop these tools and I believe that this will bring important benefits to the citizens of Macedonia," said Vlado Buckovski, prime minister of the Republic of Macedonia.
"We are very pleased of the cooperation we are establishing with governments in Europe and especially with the countries in South-East Europe, following the EU integration processes. Today's announcement of the services created under the Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Macedonian government is a milestone achievement in continuing our collaboration," said Vahe Torossian, vice president, Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe.
The government and Microsoft signed the wide-ranging Strategic Partnership Agreement in December 2003, to support government efforts to improve the effectiveness and transparency in the operations of the public administration and to stimulate the development of the local IT industry and domestic market potential for information and communication technology.
The following three services launched today were developed entirely by local IT companies under the mentorship of Microsoft:
www.uslugi.gov.mk. This service will create a standardised central
information portal for all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. It
will provide citizens with access and the ability to search in a
structured way for information about the services provided by the
public administration. At the same time, this service will promote
online interaction among the citizens and the government.
www.emarketplace.org.mk. Through this portal, SMEs in Macedonia will
have the opportunity to create an internet presence and participate in
e-commerce, which they may not otherwise have had the resources to
create on their own. This will contribute increasing the visibility of
Macedonian SMEs in the global market and to positioning IT as a key
ingredient of their competitive strategy.
www.gs.gov.mk. An intranet portal for the government Secretariat where
the Secretary General and cabinet can follow the progress of the
decisions made at government sessions as well as the responses of the
ministries to questions raised by the parliament members. This service
also allows them to check on the current status of the implementation
of the annual government programme.
"Today's launch of these high-impact e-government services is a result of our working in partnership with the government of Macedonia to deliver technology solutions that will best meet citizens' needs and help stimulate the development of a modern IT industry in the Republic of Macedonia," said Ilijanco Gagovski, general manager of Microsoft Macedonia. "We look forward to continuing to work with the government in Macedonia and our local partners as part of the strategic Partnership Agreement and beyond."
Today's news of the launch of these e-government services further demonstrates Microsoft's commitment to establishing long-term collaborations and investing with governments, academic institutions and private companies throughout Europe to support the grow of local economic development and enable these countries to better compete in the global marketplace through the use of technology.
Microsoft is committed to helping governments develop strong, sustainable IT infrastructures that deliver ease of use, value through innovative technology, a clear road map for future development, and access to source code to improve security and implementation.
Additional information on today's announcements is available on Microsoft's EMEA Press Centre website at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre
About Microsoft
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About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 12,000 people in over 55 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
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Web site: http://www.emarketplace.org.mk
Web site: http://www.gs.gov.mk
Web site: http://www.uslugi.gov.mk
Web site: http://www.microsoft.com
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