MUNICIPALITIES IN NORTH MACEDONIA IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL ECONOMY

Abstract

The main objective of the paper is to evaluate how municipalities in North Macedonia use the benefits of digital economy and to assess the level of digital transformation of existing e-services at municipal level in the country. The focus of interest in this research are the e-services related to the following three functionalities: 1) transparency and accountability, 2) communication with the citizens and companies, and 3) approvals, permits and other services. The research was conducted through on-line observation of the websites of the municipalities in Republic of North Macedonia, and a separate set of indicators have been defined for each of the three studied functionalities. According to the research, the application for “issuing and monitoring construction permits” is the most dominant e-service in the municipalities in Republic of North Macedonia, followed by “Publishing the budget of the municipality for the current year” and “Publishing the minutes and adopted decisions of the Municipal Council”.