Zero Government Bureaucracy Forum Explores Administrative Efficiency

• Mrs. Huda Al Hashimi highlighted the UAE government’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy through comprehensive programs that enhance efficiency and transparency.
• The forum discussed the experiences of the governments of South Africa and Georgia in streamlining government procedures, where digital systems were unified, and service efficiency was enhanced.
• The sessions addressed the importance of integrating technology into government operations, with countries like Slovenia, Greece, and Estonia showcasing their models in adopting digital solutions.

UAE, February 13, 2025 – The Zero Government Bureaucracy Forum, one of the forums at the 2025 World Governments Summit, which concludes tomorrow in Dubai, hosted a series of sessions featuring experts and government officials. These discussions emphasized the importance of enhancing the efficiency of government procedures, strengthening administrative leadership, and celebrating best practices and service models. Participants regarded the elimination of bureaucracy as an inevitable path for serious governments.

The UAE Experience

The forum began with a keynote speech by Mrs. Huda Al Hashimi, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, in which she highlighted the UAE’s experience in launching a comprehensive program to eliminate bureaucracy in ministries and government departments. The initiative aims to achieve efficiency, leadership, and global competitiveness. She added:

“Just a few days ago, we witnessed the announcement of the winners of the first edition of the ‘Zero Government Bureaucracy Award’ during the 2025 World Governments Summit. This initiative seeks to develop a community-centered, people-focused government model that fosters transparency and diligent work. In the UAE, we build on a strong foundation of flexible governance, and today, we look forward to broader implementation and knowledge-sharing to enhance these exemplary administrative practices.”

Diverse International Approaches

Following the keynote, a session titled “Successful National Experiences in Eliminating Bureaucracy” featured Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, Minister of Public Service and Administration of South Africa, who discussed his government’s experience in unifying governmental procedures within a single digital framework. This integration has significantly improved governmental efficiency, streamlined transactions, enhanced public sector performance, reduced processing time, and enabled better measurement of progress and outcomes.

Levan Zurzoliani, Head of Administrative Organization in the Georgian government, highlighted how best administrative practices evolve rapidly in a globalized world. He explained that Georgia has undergone significant economic transformations in recent years, achieving integration across various sectors and leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to revolutionize agriculture, tourism, travel, taxation, and government operations.

Elsa Pilichowski, Director of Public Governance at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), emphasized that eliminating bureaucracy enhances public sector governance and governmental performance. She noted that the OECD collaborates with global organizations and governments to facilitate financial transactions and ensure investment security, as excessive bureaucracy deters business activity. She concluded:

“Less bureaucracy and fewer documents—that’s what governments need for rapid and effective development.”

Simplification: A New Approach

The session “Government Simplification: A New Approach to Service Efficiency” explored ways to integrate process simplification as a vital step toward reducing bureaucracy in governments worldwide. Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, discussed strategies for meeting customer expectations, minimizing time and effort, and enhancing operational flexibility, including remote work. He also stressed the importance of improving digital services to reduce time and administrative procedures.

Mohamed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services in the UAE, highlighted how early adoption of digital transformation reshaped government procedures. He explained that this transformation was driven by strong task forces with unified values, aimed at meeting societal needs through flexible systems. The integration of the public and private sectors, supported by cutting-edge technology, has streamlined government operations and brought services closer to the community.

Meanwhile, Mark Boris Andrijanič, an international digital transformation expert and former Minister in the Slovenian government, called for the elimination of structural complexities in administrative processes. He advocated for turning challenges into achievements and elevating government services to new levels.

Innovative Governments

The session “Innovative Governments: Effective Solutions for Simplifying Government Work” explored global trends and government efforts to continuously evolve and meet the needs of citizens, society, and businesses while ensuring efficiency, accountability, and transparency.

Greek Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitrios Papastergiou, discussed the digital transformations that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the role of technology in streamlining government procedures. He highlighted how Greece has adopted numerous applications to facilitate services and enhance accessibility. Several other nations have also implemented pioneering digital solutions to redesign government processes, eliminate bureaucracy, and provide outstanding public services.

Estonian Minister of Economy and Industry, Erki Keldo, stressed that the key to sustainable development lies in bringing services closer to the people and engaging communities in this developmental movement. He stated:

“In Estonia, we have a young, passionate, and tech-savvy population—these are our developmental drivers that enhance our country’s growth strategies.”

Indy Johar, Co-founder and CEO of a global laboratory group, discussed how economic shifts impact interactions between government institutions and the private sector. He emphasized that all stakeholders must work together to reduce bureaucracy by fostering partnerships that enhance regulations, legislation, and strategic planning to drive fundamental changes in government operations.

Creativity and Successful Practices

In the session “The Global Movement Toward Effective Government Design”, Martin Lindstrom, Founder and Chairman of Lindstrom, addressed the obstacles bureaucracy poses to societies and economies, along with its long-term developmental impact. He called for a reevaluation of bureaucratic structures, increasing public participation, embedding a culture of innovation, eliminating complexity, shifting mindsets, and overcoming deep-rooted bureaucratic challenges that burden economies and local communities. He asserted that progress and development require bold action, emphasizing that even small steps can lead to significant improvements.

The session “Creativity in Government Administration: Celebrating Successful Practices” focused on fostering innovation in public administration and designing government structures to enhance efficiency and creativity. Charles Landry, an expert in urban sociology, highlighted the connection between innovation and public administration. He called for embedding creativity within government institutions, empowering them to build more responsive and adaptable systems, and fostering a culture of efficiency that prioritizes time, effort, and resource optimization.