28 May 2019 - "I am convinced that the system is as strong as it is effectively ready to respond to the expectations of those who need support most. One of the strengths of this component of our institutions is the introduction of the social card which, as you have noticed, is now in the second phase of implementation," said Prime Minister Duško Marković.
"The first phase included the optimal application of legal and institutional solutions in the field of material benefits, including automatic data exchange with nine other social protection systems, and rights from veterans' disability protection," Prime Minister Marković explained.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the second phase enables centers for social work to provide around 30 social services on "one counters" principle, adding: "Today, with certainty, we can say that the social card system has brought significant benefits to the citizens and the State, has enabled numerous reliefs, and the money that was previously needed to obtain a number of certificates. "
The Prime Minister recalled that since 2015 and the introduction of the Social Card, citizens have been obliged to give their ID cards, while other documents are obtained automatically.
"With the introduction of this system, a detailed audit of about 60,000 users was carried out, and on that occasion, a significant number of material benefits were created as a result of abuse by the then users. Only on this basis in June 2014 - January 2016, budget savings of 2.6 million euros were achieved. It is an illustrative fact that by using this System we are now able to calculate and realise about 84,000 individual solutions per month automatically," said the Prime Minister.
Safe in the knowledge that the introduction of the Social Card ensured the conduct of a quality, fair and efficient social policy through the implementation of the latest information technologies, PM Marković concluded:
"In the previous period of implementation, the Social Card really fulfilled the expectations and significantly influenced the quality of the provision of services in the field of social protection, and consequently the successful implementation of the structural reform of the social protection system."
