Ministries to listen to people's complaints
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
FE Report
The government has ordered its ministries and departments to assign officials to hear and resolve complaints of the masses in an effort to improve service quality and ensure good governance.
The establishment ministry issued the instruction recently, asking the government offices to designate dedicated officials for directly dealing with the people.
Experts said the move would help bring accountability in the government organs, although they wondered whether the latest order would make qualitative difference, as access to most of the ministries are limited to a chosen few.
Officials said the new directive came following suggestions by the cabinet division and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
In line with the latest order an official "will sit with the people coming to lodge complaints in his ministry or department once a week.
"He will also take necessary actions to resolve their problems," the order said.
The designated official will record all complaints in a data-base so that it could be followed up in the future, it said
It added that the official would enjoy enough power to direct departments and wings under the ministry to take care of the complaints.
Officials said the government has issued the directive as part of a move to build a modern and digital administration that will ensure transparency and accountability in its organs.
They said the latest order would make the government entities "pro-people" and ensure better access of people to every sphere of decision-making and governance.
The order was silent on the restrictions on entry of the complainants in the secretariat where most of the ministries are located.
The government has ordered its ministries and departments to assign officials to hear and resolve complaints of the masses in an effort to improve service quality and ensure good governance.
The establishment ministry issued the instruction recently, asking the government offices to designate dedicated officials for directly dealing with the people.
Experts said the move would help bring accountability in the government organs, although they wondered whether the latest order would make qualitative difference, as access to most of the ministries are limited to a chosen few.
Officials said the new directive came following suggestions by the cabinet division and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
In line with the latest order an official "will sit with the people coming to lodge complaints in his ministry or department once a week.
"He will also take necessary actions to resolve their problems," the order said.
The designated official will record all complaints in a data-base so that it could be followed up in the future, it said
It added that the official would enjoy enough power to direct departments and wings under the ministry to take care of the complaints.
Officials said the government has issued the directive as part of a move to build a modern and digital administration that will ensure transparency and accountability in its organs.
They said the latest order would make the government entities "pro-people" and ensure better access of people to every sphere of decision-making and governance.
The order was silent on the restrictions on entry of the complainants in the secretariat where most of the ministries are located.