Fico and Kalinak Open New ESO Client Centre in Bratislava

Bratislava, January 31 (TASR) – A new state administration client centre on Tomasikova Street in Bratislava, allowing people to deal with various issues with the state at a single place, was opened ceremonially by Prime Minister Robert Fico and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on Sunday.

State offices from as many as ten locations in Bratislava have moved to the address on Tomasikova Street, with the new facility launching its services in trial mode as of Monday, February 1. For example, the Bratislava District Office will also be headquartered in the building.

“It’s a symbol of a modern state, a symbol of providing modern services in modern premises. If a person comes to this client centre, they’ll be able to arrange everything they need in their life. They can arrange here an ID card, driving licence and car transfer, for example,” said Fico.

“This is the 44th client centre that we’ve gradually opened in Slovakia. We’ll open another five centres by the end of our term, and there will be a total of 79 client centres in the end,” said Fico. The general election in Slovakia is scheduled for March 5.

The client centre in Bratislava, which has cost €12.7 million, provides 11,000 square metres of offices and 531 parking lots. Full operation will be launched on March 1. The centre will gradually feature other institutions as well, including social insurer Socialna Poistovna and state-run health insurer Vseobecna Zdravotna Poistovna.

The client centres are part of the ESO (“effective, reliable and open”) state administration reform. “Our plan had been to save more than €700 million on the reform, but we achieved this as early as last year,” added Fico.