On 1 July, the Central Register of Contracts (CRU) of Public Finance Sector Entities will become operational. In recent public debate, this key instrument has been reduced primarily to the issue of the transparency of doctors’ contracts, as noted by the Prime Minister during the press conference on 17 June. As citizens and civil society organisations, we would like to firmly remind everyone that the CRU is a cornerstone of transparency across the entire public sector and has enormous potential to improve the efficiency of public spending in all areas of social life.
The system’s architecture has already been designed. However, its real usefulness will depend on how the data are actually made available. The effectiveness of the register should not be measured merely by publishing information on government websites, but by ensuring that the data can be automatically processed using modern and widely accessible digital tools.
In this regard, we call for:
- An API that enables easy, bulk access to data.
- Commitment to Open Data standards and interoperability – government contracts constitute high-value datasets. We call for them to be made available in open, machine-readable formats (CSV, JSON, XML) and integrated with the national open data portal, dane.gov.pl, in line with the Government’s Open Data Programme.
- Version history – so that it is possible to see who changed contract-related information and when.
Only a Central Register of Contracts designed in this way can become a genuine tool for civic oversight of public spending. It will make it possible to compare, analyse and monitor government expenditure, responding to the widely shared expectation of greater transparency in public life. Only open, accessible and usable data can build citizens’ trust in the state and strengthen accountability for the management of public resources.
Prime Minister, the system is ready. We ask that it be opened in a way that allows the data not only to be viewed, but also to be processed.
Sincerely,
Fundacja Instytut Finansów Publicznych
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