TIRANA, Feb 24 /ATA/ – The Office of Information and Data Protection Commissioner, in collaboration with the European Union’s project on good governance, hosted a table of discussion with public sector representatives on implementation of the law on open data and the use of information in the public sector.
In his remarks at the event, the Information and Data Protection Commissioner Besnik Dervishi highlighted importance of protection of public data, as well as management and release on the integrated portal opendata.gov.al, as a means to enhance transparency and accountability of the government authorities and public enterprises.
“The amount of public data in our country has increased significantly. When such data is open for reuse, it serves not only to increase transparency, good governance, administrative accountability, scientific research, but also to develop the economy through innovative solutions,” Dervishi stated.
Commissioner Dervishi underlined that public sector operators are used to keep official data within their institutions, fearing that their release could lead to data misuse and misinterpretation.
He said that open data would lead to a dynamic reorganization of the public sector, giving it a new information providing role.
Dervishi said that open data would also contribute to enhanced government transparency and accountability.
“Open data also help improve decision-making processes, increase citizen involvement in decision-making, improve the provision of public services; increase cooperation and knowledge exchange, as well as contribute to reducing inequality and promoting social inclusion,” the Commissioner said.
Representatives from the EU Good Governance project welcomed Albania’s new law on open data, highlighting alignment of the legislation with the European directives and the need for its implementation.
The Open Data Law provides for the creation and operation of a central portal opendata.gov.al to unite open data catalogues published by public sector operators and public enterprises.
The legislation is designed to make it as simple as possible for everyone to access, understand, combine, and benefit from open data, thus helping organizations and individuals maximize their value.
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