The cabinet today approved a concept on open governmental data and a methodology on publication of open data. The first document sets the principles of public data owned by the public institutions, and the second one explains the data publication process on the website www.date.gov.md.

Thus, the government sets the principles of operation of the system of open governmental data, that will guide the public institutions in identifying and publishing public information for the free access and right to re-use by anybody. Opening data will implicitly and proactively contribute to enhancing transparency in the public sector through the amount of government data available to users and will provide valuable material for development of innovations in the social and economic sectors.

The government committed to open public data as part of measures for increasing transparency and fighting corruption and to ensure citizens’ right to access and reuse of public governmental data. The documents are part of Open Government Partnership, which Moldova joined in April 2012. By adopting the concept, the government aligns with the principles of the Open Data Charter of the G8 states.

Besides information and training sessions, meant for civil servants to understand the above-mentioned principles and reuse public information, workshops will be organised for journalists, researchers, civil society to present ways of analysis, visualisation and interpretation of system data. The actions will be organised by the government, in partnership with the civil society and development partners.