In 2018, more than 9,000 citizens addressed the Institution of the Protector of Citizens, and nearly 3,400 complaints were received in which the citizens pointed to the violations of their rights.
This is what the Ombudsman, Zoran Pašalić, said today when presenting the report on the work of his institution in 2018 in the Serbian Parliament, which stated that last year the Protector of Citizens made 297 recommendations to the administration bodies.
Of the total number of referrals made, 144 were related to gender equality. The largest number of citizens' complaints in 2018 concerned the work of representatives of the executive branch, especially the ministries, about 20 percent of all complaints, as Pašalić said. According to him, the number of complaints related to the work of local self-government units accounts for about 13 percent of the total complaints.
Citizens also complained about the work of the judicial authorities, 11 percent of all complaints. The majority of citizens complained about the violations of rights in the area of good governance, economic and social sphere, Pašalić added.
He said that the complaints were about existential problems and unemployment, but also about the inefficient state administration, which is silent when it should act for the benefit of citizens.
There were frequent violations or denials of citizens' rights in the work of administrative bodies, as well as repetitions of the same or similar problems in their work, Pašalić said. On the other hand, the Protector of Citizens also noted more intensive activities of the Serbian Government in modernizing the work of the state administration through the development and implementation of various electronic services. The progress is reflected in serious approach and more frequent implementation of activities aimed at improving the human resources in the field of good governance, Pašalić said.
The Protector of Citizens said at the beginning of his presentation that he was sorry that MPs were not present in larger number that day, adding that there were no politics, political affinities and animosities in the report and actions of the Protector of Citizens. He emphasized that human and minority rights and freedoms are the fundamental values on which, in addition to the rule of law, social justice, the principles of civil democracy, the Republic of Serbia is based.