Days and the eGovernment Caravan in Kragujevac
The Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Dr. Mihailo Jovanović, the Mayor of Kragujevac, Nikola Dašić, the Head of the Responsible Governance Sector at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Jelena Ružičić, and NALED’s Program Director, Jelena Bojović, visited the promotional stand and spoke with citizens.
At the opening of the training on the implementation of the eSick Leave – Employer system, intended for representatives of public institutions and the private sector, the Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Dr. Mihailo Jovanović, emphasized the importance of Kragujevac, which in recent years has clearly positioned itself as Serbia’s Silicon Valley. He stressed that the digitalization of sick leave procedures will bring significant benefits for employers, institutions, and employees.
“Through the trainings we organize across Serbia, our goal is to provide employees in public institutions and employers with clear and practical steps for submitting requests, tracking case statuses, and introducing electronic processes into everyday workflows. By exchanging experiences directly with participants in the field and addressing concrete questions, we significantly accelerate the implementation of the system and improve work efficiency. The City of Kragujevac is already achieving notable results in the use of eServices. Through the eZUP platform alone, more than 405,000 data exchanges have been carried out, representing hundreds of thousands of situations in which citizens did not have to carry documents from one counter to another. In addition, more than 143,000 appointments for ID cards and passports have been scheduled via the eGovernment Portal, which shows how much citizens recognize the advantages of a modern, fast, and accessible electronic administration,” said Jovanović. He added that the full functionality of the eSick Leave – Employer system will be further improved as of April 1, 2026, when employers will also be able to electronically submit requests for the calculation and reimbursement of salary compensation.
The Head of the Responsible Governance Sector at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Jelena Ružičić, reminded that UNDP in Kragujevac already supports initiatives that strengthen community preparedness for emergencies, improve healthcare, and contribute to the transformation of the city into a regional hub for digitalization and innovation.
“Today we are here to present to citizens, businesses, and public administration employees the advantages of using available e-services. UNDP will continue to work with the City of Kragujevac on improving existing and developing new digital services that are easy to use and tailored to the needs of citizens. Together with our partners from the Office for IT and eGovernment and NALED, we remain committed to supporting local governments across Serbia in providing eServices that bring tangible benefits of digital technologies to citizens,” Ružičić added.
“Kragujevac is an example of a city that demonstrates how local self-government can be a strong driver of digital transformation, modernization of public administration, and economic development. As one of the most active local governments in initiatives such as ‘eGovernment for All’ and the ‘Digital Caravan,’ the city continuously works on improving services for citizens and businesses. Our cooperation with NALED has lasted for two decades, during which numerous initiatives have been implemented, including the citizen participation platform ‘Be Part of the Plan.’ Currently, through the Smart Cities Development Project, we are also working on introducing a smart water supply network. All of this has contributed to Kragujevac being ranked among the best municipalities according to the Local eGovernment Index (LEI),” emphasized Jelena Bojović.
“Almost five years ago, we opened the first dedicated eGovernment counter in Kragujevac, taking the first major step toward modernizing the local administration. Today, our citizens have access to more than 3,000 electronic procedures and can complete most administrative tasks quickly, easily, and without visiting a counter. In the meantime, we have introduced the Electronic Register of Administrative Procedures and new digital systems such as eSick Leave and ePay, further improving the transparency, efficiency, and accessibility of city services. Kragujevac will continue to build a digital environment where procedures are clear, fast, and tailored to the needs of citizens and businesses,” said the Mayor of Kragujevac, Nikola Dašić.
The Days and the eGovernment Caravan are organized by the Office for IT and eGovernment within the projects “eGovernment for All” and “EDGE,” in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), NALED, the Digital District, and the World Bank.
The aim of these activities is to make eGovernment accessible to everyone, regardless of the size and capacity of local governments. As part of the Caravan, training sessions are also organized for representatives of state institutions, businesses, and local governments on the use of the eSick Leave – Employer application and the Plati system.
These activities provide a unique opportunity for local governments to improve their services, optimize processes, and become recognized leaders of digital transformation for the benefit of citizens and the economy.
