Skopje, 13 October 2021 (MIA) – Digital identity is already being developed in the banking and private sector and the e-service portal is also in the works, Minister for Information Society and Administration Jeton Shaqiri said Wednesday in Podgorica, where he is taking part in the Western Balkans Digital Summit. “We’ll be the only country in the region that will develop digital identity,” he said adding that after the government had signed a contract with Mastercard, the company is already developing digital identity with several institutions in the banking and private sector. The Minister also said he expected other companies in the country to start applying digital identity. Speaking to MIA, Minister Shaqiri said North Macedonia isn’t lagging behind other countries considering digital transformation. A digitalization agency in charge of developing all digital services is expected by the end of the year. Investments in digital transformation are expected to increase five-fold in 2022, he announced. “A lot of work remains to be done, but with solid cooperation of all state institutions, we will reach the goal very quickly,” Shaqiri stated. Minister Shaqiri also visited Podgorica in June to mark the start of free roaming in all six Western Balkan countries, including North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.