Speaking about the role of technology in governance, Rama said that, “the process of building institutions in the conventional way takes decades or even centuries, while with technology you can make a leap into the future.”

“When you have to build a modern state, functioning institutions, you have to count on people, so in every process you have to rely on people, but relying on people is not enough, because as the saying goes, it is not the people that corrupt the system, but the system that corrupts the people. So, you have to set up systems that can keep a tight rein on people, when it comes to compliance with procedures and respecting everyone’s rights. What technology does is that it takes the broker out of the picture and enables a service system that connects directly with people,” said Rama.

Rama also cited the example of E-Albania.

“We have completely changed the way public services are accessed. Not many years ago, for any document, certificate, license, paper to prove that you have not been convicted, or that you have never received a driving license, you had to wait in long queues before the counters, even in conditions below standards. Now everything is already digitized, counters have been phased out, everything is accessed through a direct interaction between the person who needs the service and his mobile phone or his computer,” said Rama.
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