Skopje, 19 August 2025 (MIA) - Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski said Tuesday that the National Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), which is key to digital administration and the functioning of public administration, will be completely redesigned and modernized.

The system, which was used by only 20 institutions, has proven unstable, inadequate and without adequate technical support and cybersecurity standards.

"When we took responsibility for the system, we encountered a situation that did not meet the needs of either citizens or institutions. It is an expensive, but dysfunctional system that is used in only 20 institutions. In the past two years, there has been no technical support, maintenance or development. There were no cybersecurity standards and no one cared about the security of the system. Frequent interruptions and crashes made the system unstable. It was used exclusively as an electronic filing cabinet, without the use of archiving or digital document processing," said Andonovski.

After assuming responsibility for the system, the Ministry has taken the first concrete measures, including passing a new law on archival operations according to European standards and conducting security penetration tests.

"In the past months, we have taken concrete measures. First, we adopted a law on archival operations in accordance with European Union standards, which obliges the administration to work electronically. For the first time, we have conducted a penetration test of the EDMS system to detect and address security vulnerabilities. This morning we received preliminary information, which indicates critical observations, but they are largely the result of improper maintenance over the past period," Andonovski pointed out. 

He noted that the aim is to have a fully functional, secure and integrated EDMS by the end of the year, with automated document processing and ability to track cases in real time, announcing that as of October 1, 2025, the Ministry will completely eliminate paper documents from its operations.

Andonovski added that the Ministry intends to include new institutions, ministries, agencies and public enterprises, and currently five new ones are announced. He said citizens will be able to monitor the status of their cases in real time and the system will provide full electronic processing, automated creation of decisions, notifications and certificates with electronic signatures and seals.  

For the country, this will mean aligning with EU standards and the Reform Agenda, which foresees the implementation of a single document management system in all state institutions by 2028, in accordance with the law on archival operations.

Photo: MIA