Montenegro (from June 2006)

[ME] Government Establishes Ministry for Information Society

IRIS 2009-3:1/25

Daniela Seferovic

KRUG Communications & Media, Montenegro

The Montenegrin Government founded a new Ministry of Information Society, the main task of which is to improve the use of modern information and communication technologies. According to the amendments to the Regulation on the Organisation and Functioning of the State Administration adopted on 11 December 2008, the new Ministry replaces the existing Secretariat for Development.

The latter was, apart from taking care of the drafting, implementation and monitoring of national and regional development strategies, in charge of developing and maintaining the information system of the State administration bodies, preparing the basis for the accession to the EU in the areas of development and implementation of information and communication technologies (e-Europe), as well as for keeping the central electoral registry and implementation of regulations relating to the electronic signature. Explaining its motives for these structural changes, the Government stated that a further development in modern information and communication technologies usage was necessary for the State administrative bodies to be able to accomplish their objects in an effective and economic manner and that it is a precondition for the overall development of the economic, academic and civil society. While the last year saw the successful introduction of the Montenegrin national internet domain “.me” which many regard as the biggest accomplishment within the information sector, one of the main projects for this year is expected to be the start of the implementation of the Montenegrin eGovernment project, whereby functions of administrative bodies would be carried out in digital form over the internet.

Last year the Government additionally strengthened its role in the regulation of broadcasting by establishing a new Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Activity which merged the technical sector of the Broadcasting Agency, which dealt with the distribution of the broadcasters’ frequencies and licenses, and the Government-dependent Agency for Telecommunications.