TIRANA, Oct 5 /ATA/ Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha said today that his government had initiated the digitalisation process with the aim of improving public services, while accusing the current government and the National Agency of Information Society (NAIS) of turning technology into a system of tenders and abuse.
Berisha spoke at a meeting organised by the Democratic Party’s Department of Artificial Intelligence, titled “Albania’s Digital Future – Opportunities Offered by Blockchain Technology”.
Referring to his time in office, Berisha said digitalisation had been introduced as a means of fighting corruption and improving transparency.
“We launched the slogan ‘Albania in the Digital Age’. At the time, much of the media mocked the government and the slogan. But through our determination, the initiative became one of the most successful undertakings of that government,” he said.
Berisha cited e-procurement, online public services and the online treasury as some of the initiatives introduced during his time in government.
“Our major challenge was corruption, and we wanted to use technology in areas where corruption was most prevalent,” Berisha said, adding that technology was also used for the state Matura exams and to improve transparency in public spending.
Referring to the National Agency of Information Society (NAIS), Berisha alleged that the process for awarding technology-related tenders had changed following the change in government.
“Instead of transparent, decentralised tendering practices for systems and maintenance across schools and public administration, we ended up with a system in which all technology-related tenders nationwide were handled exclusively by NAIS,” the DP leader said.
Berisha also criticised the way NAIS operates, accusing the agency of misusing personal data and lacking transparency in its procurement procedures.
“NAIS became a curse for Albanians. All citizens’ personal data, as well as state data entrusted to the state by citizens, were handed over to what he called the electoral ‘terrorist army’ of patronage network operatives,” Berisha said.
He added that digital technology should, above all, be associated with transparency.
“Digital technology is the technology of transparency. The most appropriate synonym for it is transparency, among many other things,” Berisha said.
He stressed the importance of using technology to improve public processes and ensure greater transparency.
“Why did I make this presentation? To show the vital importance of technology. Because we will never give up on these efforts,” Berisha said.
Berisha linked the use of blockchain technology to the need for greater transparency and changes to the way the public administration operates.
“Blockchain may be the most essential technology for helping Albania emerge from the terrible chaos into which Edi Rama has deliberately plunged the country by abusing digital technology to an extreme degree,” the DP leader said.
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