The US charge d'affaires in Bucharest Dean Thompson has asked Romanians to request more information from public authorities and to use their knowledge to contribute to public services.

“As the Government’s Department of Online Services and Design continues to grant access to information, there is a tremendous potential for better services, more transparent transactions,” he said, cited by local Mediafax.

The Department for Online Services and Design is a unit set up by the Romanian Government to digitize the public sector.

Thompson said that the US authorities kept information for their own use in the past, but this has changed, and authorities started giving public ever more access to state information.

In 2011, the US launched the Open Government Partnership, to provide an international platform for making the governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens.

editor@romania-insider.com