Speech of the Prime Minister of the CR, Mirek Topolánek at the Conference Business & Information Forum 2007 Held at the Prague Castle

Two years ago, as a leader of the opposition, I presented here my idea how to effectively use information technologies and what the state had to do for that. I did not have a chance to implement those plans into practice those days. I have this chance today. I have the responsibility and I am ready not only to preachify here, but also to be accountable to you.
The close season of my government has not finished yet – my government gained the confidence as late as seven weeks ago. But in spite of this fact it is necessary to present our results, because we have lost much time. I realize this fact perhaps more than anybody else, because as the Prime Minister discover in what a poor state the public administration is. This fact itself forces me to hurry up and to rectify it. All the more so that by seven months less remains us...
Therefore, as it happens, I am not going to say anything new. It is still valid what I said two years ago. The problem is how to put these ideas into practice. I have done a stocktaking of my then words and today's reality. How did it turn out?
Two years ago I presented two principal theses here. First: the state is not to suppress private activities by its performance in the sphere of information technologies. On the contrary, a space should be created for them and we should get out from their ways; it is valid for every entrepreneurial activities. I am glad to can confirm that projects, which the Minister of Interior and Informatics, the Minister of Industry and Trade and the Minister of Justice are starting nowadays, are going in this direction.
Second, I said that it was no sense in rapid computerization of the entire bureaucratic work. First it was necessary to find out, which activities were effective and to restrict scope of activities of the state bureaucracy. When we allow information technologies to enter unnecessary activities, the result is that we just petrify and increase unnecessary bureaucratic burden. We just multiply chances of authorities to plague our lives.
I regard it as crucial. Therefore we will start removal of unnecessary bureaucratic burden on 1st July. So called the RIA (Regulatory Impact Assessment) will assess impact of regulations on citizens. It is one of principles of the Tošovský´s anti-bureaucratic law, which we can put into practice immediately, in the framework of state executive, without necessity to wait for approval of the Chamber of Deputies. Nevertheless, for a lot of further steps change of legislative will be necessary.
Further task, which I mentioned two years ago and which is fulfilled, is the Act on Register Offices and this act will enable to share their data. It is already prepared at the Ministry of Interior and Informatics. This norm removes the narrowest bottleneck of computerization of the state administration and justice. Without this, submission in the electronic form are not possible in spite of the fact that courts have necessary technical equipment.
I was speaking about reduction of central organ structure, which after decentralization lost their sense. Here I must put a black mark. An old rule has been confirmed here that it is easier to establish an office than to dissolve it and my government has not manage to do it during those 49 days, which followed the vote of confidence. I can just boast of the fact that the Office of the Government set an example. Unnecessary activities were immediately after my first appointment delimited. Fifty jobs and 5% of the budget were saved. For the present.
Two years ago I also warned that the individual activities of ministries, howbeit well meant, would not have appropriate effect unless they were bound into one logical unit and unless they had support of the entire coalition. It does not concern only information technologies. They were far-sighted words if I can assess them without prejudice.
I think we managed to make the first good step, when we clearly and concretely defined our priorities in the coalition agreement; it is a kind of safety lock with regard to possible misinterpretations.
As to the technical fulfilment of these political priorities, the government has already approved the plan for carrying-out of a "time-table of reforms". It enabled us to ensure linkage of the individual steps, to assess continuously fulfilment of the Programme Declaration of the Government and to respond in time to problems that threaten. Information technologies will play a key role in this sphere, of course.
With regard to the fact that removal of bureaucratic burden has been my priority for a long time, the Council of Deputy Ministers for Reform, Regulation, Quality of the Public Administration and e-Government Development is being established under my supervision at the Office of the Government.
The ODS has always been a leader regarding this issue. As early as when we were in the opposition, we presented a special Act on e-Government and prepared the project for accession to data of the individual registers of public institutions for citizens; and from any spot. You know this initiative under its name CZECH POINT and now the pilot project it is being implemented and the relevant legislative is being prepared.
Also further of promises of the ODS is ready to be implemented, so called eGov Act, which will make electronic and paper form of documents equal. At the Office of the Government we are going to completely remove circulation of paper documents and to replace them by the electronic ones. Apart from simplification of our activities it will be significant contribution to the environment.
Further matter, which was successful is the non-party association eStat, by means of which wide spectrum of organizations, enterprises and individuals can be involved in. It is a very important civic supplement of state, governmental and partial activities.
Most of our work is still ahead of us, of course. It concerns huge area of making activities of the state administration more efficient; including legislative audits, professionalization of the state machinery or prevention from bureaucratic burden increase.
Apart from the Tošovský´s anti-bureaucratic law, which is already prepared, there will be the Act on Universal Administration Proceedings, the Act on Public Service, which will replace the Act on State Service, and the Act on Officials of Territorial Self-governing Units, amendment of process norms stipulating local jurisdiction, amendment to the Act on Administration Fees, amendment to the Act on Budgetary Allocation of Taxes, amendment to the Act on Free Access to Information, amendment to the Competence Act ...
As a conclusion I would like to say that the implementation of information technologies into practice is the least problem. They are available, as well as number of successful innovative private firms, which are able to implement them. Problem can occur in the state administration. It is not prepared enough, it does not follow criteria that are common in the private sphere, and it is not always able to manage those piles of unnecessary papers for the benefit of citizens.
So, you can start immediately. But we cannot. The state administration is not an equal partner for companies of the ICT sphere nowadays. Before we start big projects and public tenders, we must sweep our own doorstep. Otherwise, there are threats of money waste, efficiency decrease and even corruption instead of making state administration more effective.
Therefore even the technology introduction should not be hurried. A lot of work is still ahead of us. As the guru of information technologies Bill Gates said: "Most of revolutionary events ... is still ahead of us." Let us prepare for them rather as best as we can than as fast as we can".