January 9, 2022 - The year is 2022, and in the Mighty State of Uhljebistan, the fax machine reigns supreme.
When was the last time you sent a fax?
Have you ever sent a fax?
Do you even know what a fax is?
Or what a fax machine looks like?
If you are dealing with Croatian bureaucracy in the year 2022, ignore the power of the facsimile at your peril, for it is still one of the prime sources of communication in a digital age which has no idea what the fax dinosaur is or actually does.
It is almost two years since I wrote An Ode to the Fax, the Digital Champion of Uhljebistan 2.0.
And full credit to the Ministry of Tourism and its previous minister, Gari Cappelli, which abolished the fax machine and had a website upgrade within 10 minutes of my article being republished on Index.hr.
A great example of a responsive ministry willing to take on board criticism and move with the times. No more fax numbers, but an impressive number of email contacts, depending on your interest.
Time passed in The Beautiful Croatia.
There were many technological developments, and even some public-private partnership innovation, such as the introduction of the digital nomad permit in less than 5 months from announcement to realisation.
In a normal country, the abolition of the fax machine by the Ministry of Tourism might be seen as an initiative to emulate. So how do things look in the Mighty State of Uhljebistan in early 2022, a year after Croatia held the EU Presidency? We were a little bored this Sunday so decided to cruise the home pages of the official Croatian ministry websites. Here is what we found...
The absolute winners of the Croatian Ministry 2022 Fax Challenge are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not one, but TWO fax numbers! If Putin decides to invade Ukraine, we have all communication bases covered. Good job!
The standard of education in Croatia is sometimes criticised, but 12 points for the Ministry of Education. How many other countries will have kids who have heard the word Fax?
Feeling a little under the weather and in need of help? The Ministry of Health is just a facsimile away.
Ah yes, the elusive EU funds racket. Document this required, document that. Why not cut through the red tape and just send them a fax? The billions are sure to follow.
Talking of billions, the Ministry of Finance takes the fax story to the next level - where else can you find a fax number in italics in 2022?
Perhaps we have stumbled upon a clue as to why construction permits are taking so long in Croatia.
Or why the agricultural sector is so sluggish.
Or why your Christmas present has not yet arrived.
The Mighty State of Uhljebistan 2.0, I salute you - you obviously have your internal comms very well organised. But tell me, how do you communicate with the citizens who have never been exposed to your powerful fax communication tool?
