When Slovenia established the Ministry of Digital Transformation in 2022, the Duh časa Association welcomed the development with great optimism. As an organization that has been refurbishing and donating computers to socially disadvantaged individuals since 2011, we believed the Ministry could become a valuable partner in addressing digital exclusion and promoting the reuse of public ICT equipment.

From June 2022 onward, the Ministry covered the rental costs of our workshop premises at BTC Emporium in Ljubljana. This support enabled us to continue our work at a time when demand for refurbished computers was steadily increasing.

Unfortunately, our experience over the following years did not meet those initial expectations.

The Promise of the Computer Fund

During our first meetings with Ministry representatives in 2022, we were introduced to plans for a national “Computer Fund” intended to facilitate the redistribution of decommissioned computers from state institutions and public administration.

At the Ministry’s request, we provided detailed documentation of our operational model, including the resources, logistics, and organizational processes necessary for successful long-term computer refurbishment and redistribution. We hoped our decade of practical experience would contribute to the development of an effective national mechanism.

As presented to us, the Computer Fund would redistribute government-owned computers with a book value of zero euros back into society. The proposed model relied primarily on lending equipment rather than transferring ownership to beneficiaries. Based on our experience, we advised that donated ownership would be considerably more practical and beneficial than a loan-based system.

Following these discussions, communication regarding the Computer Fund largely ceased.

Some time later, media reports revealed that approximately 13,000 laptops were being stored in a warehouse while public demand for equipment remained substantial.

The Introduction of MIRO

The Ministry subsequently launched the MIRO mechanism for distributing laptops. However, the implementation process proved challenging.

At an online meeting attended by representatives of major Slovenian humanitarian organizations, Ministry officials presented the programme and explained the conditions for receiving equipment. Participants raised numerous questions regarding eligibility criteria and accessibility.

One concern repeatedly raised was that several vulnerable groups appeared to be excluded from the programme, including many elderly citizens, persons with disabilities, students, and homeless individuals. These concerns received limited attention despite their direct relevance to digital inclusion.

As MIRO became operational, our organization experienced a dramatic increase in demand. Individuals who did not qualify for assistance through the state mechanism increasingly turned to our volunteer-based initiative.

While we receive approximately 200–300 usable donated laptops annually, requests soon exceeded our capacity. By early 2025, the waiting list had reached approximately 400 applicants.

Uncertainty Regarding Continued Support

The Ministry’s financial support for our premises was scheduled to end on 31 May 2025.

We began discussing a possible extension more than a year in advance and were repeatedly informed that continuation should not present difficulties. To support these discussions, we voluntarily prepared a report documenting our activities and achievements during the support period.

After submitting the report, communication largely ceased.

Several months later, we were informed that the report lacked sufficient detail and that additional data would be required, including regional distributions, beneficiary demographics, educational institutions served, and statistical projections. We subsequently prepared and submitted this additional information despite no such reporting requirements having previously been established.

Again, no formal response followed.

Shortly before the lease agreement expired, we were informally informed that support would not be extended. No official explanation was ever provided regarding the reasons for this decision or the change in policy.

Equally concerning was the absence of official records documenting three years of cooperation. Apart from the lease agreement itself and a budget-related annex, our organization received no formal meeting minutes, evaluations, explanations, or closing documentation.

Support from the Private Sector

The situation ultimately required intervention from the private sector.

BTC d.d., recognizing the social value of our activities, provided alternative premises within the Emporium complex and enabled us to continue operating. Without this assistance, our ability to serve beneficiaries would have been seriously jeopardized.

By November 2025, when operations resumed in the new workshop, the waiting list for computers had grown to approximately 500 individuals.

During subsequent discussions involving the NGO-VID network, representatives of the Ministry indicated that between 300 and 400 decommissioned state-owned laptops could potentially be transferred to support our activities before the end of 2025.

No such transfer subsequently materialized.

The Question of State-Owned Equipment

In early 2026, discussions were finally opened with the official responsible for managing decommissioned state ICT equipment.

According to information provided during those discussions, the quantity of available equipment may significantly exceed previous estimates and potentially number in the thousands.

Our organization shared all relevant experience and documentation gained during previous state computer redistribution projects, including initiatives conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, progress has remained limited.

This situation raises a broader question: why does a country that possesses both the legal framework and the physical assets necessary to support digital inclusion struggle to establish an effective mechanism for returning unused public ICT equipment to society?

Looking Forward

Despite these challenges, the Duh časa Association continues its work.

Thanks to support from private donors and other contributors, we have reduced the waiting list from approximately 500 to around 300 applicants. Yet at the same time, an estimated 2,000 laptops remain unused or are awaiting disposal within public institutions.

These devices were purchased with public funds and constitute public assets. Slovenian legislation governing state property already provides a legal basis for their transfer, disposal, and reuse.

The challenge is therefore not one of legislation but of implementation.

For more than fifteen years, our organization has demonstrated that computer reuse can successfully reduce digital exclusion, support education, promote environmental sustainability, and maximize the value of public investments.

We believe that decommissioned public computers should not remain in storage facilities while citizens, students, families, and vulnerable individuals continue to lack access to digital tools.

The infrastructure exists.

The legal framework exists.

The need unquestionably exists.

What remains is the political and administrative will to make it happen.