Service delivery time to prevent corruption
Sunday, 16 March 2008
AL Khan
I would like to put forward the following recommendations to the care-taker government /Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as a means of dealing with corruption and bribery in government offices in Bangladesh . Unless a law is passed on the service delivery time /service standard for our public servants, nothing is going to prevent corruption in the government offices. The service delivery time /service standard law (if promulgated) can work as a single solid weapon to prosecute a public servant for his/her negligence or can be used as a qualifying benchmark for promotion for really deserving candidate.
For this purpose, the following recommendations, I hope, will merit the attention of the incumbent caretaker government:
All government offices at each designation (position) should be asked to specify in writing their 'list of all customer services' activities.
Department heads will then specify the time required to complete and deliver each specific service to the customer.
A big signboard for each service and 'service delivery time' must be posted in each office.
A law must be passed to punish government servants failing to deliver services within the agreed stipulated time.
A website for each government office should be set up that deals with any customer service.
The website must be up and running twenty four hours by law.
Customers should be able to post open comments and remarks on the quality of service they receive and delivery time on these websites.
These websites will also inform all concerned about services delivery times for each kind of service that had been set as standard for a particular department.
Customers should be given a username/password as soon as they submit (hard copies of documents) any application/ request for any service that requires days to process.
Customers should be able to follow progress of their file/application online (as it is currently done in Board of Investment or BOI).
All correspondences with any customer should be recorded in the database against the customer's unique identity (ID).
Reasons for any delay in processing an application must be posted on the website by the department immediately, so that the customer may check their account/application's progress and take necessary action ASAP.
It is the right of citizens in a civilised world to know the service standard / service delivery time for each service they ask for, from public servants. They are tax-payers. No more begging for a service from a public servant. It should be done within the time specified in "Service Delivery Time" or if it is not done, then a valid reason should be posted in the website within 24 hours so that the customer can take corrective action on their file.
...............................................
The writer is a Bangladeshi from the United Kingdom. He may be contacted at-e-mail: al_mkhan@yahoo.com
I would like to put forward the following recommendations to the care-taker government /Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as a means of dealing with corruption and bribery in government offices in Bangladesh . Unless a law is passed on the service delivery time /service standard for our public servants, nothing is going to prevent corruption in the government offices. The service delivery time /service standard law (if promulgated) can work as a single solid weapon to prosecute a public servant for his/her negligence or can be used as a qualifying benchmark for promotion for really deserving candidate.
For this purpose, the following recommendations, I hope, will merit the attention of the incumbent caretaker government:
All government offices at each designation (position) should be asked to specify in writing their 'list of all customer services' activities.
Department heads will then specify the time required to complete and deliver each specific service to the customer.
A big signboard for each service and 'service delivery time' must be posted in each office.
A law must be passed to punish government servants failing to deliver services within the agreed stipulated time.
A website for each government office should be set up that deals with any customer service.
The website must be up and running twenty four hours by law.
Customers should be able to post open comments and remarks on the quality of service they receive and delivery time on these websites.
These websites will also inform all concerned about services delivery times for each kind of service that had been set as standard for a particular department.
Customers should be given a username/password as soon as they submit (hard copies of documents) any application/ request for any service that requires days to process.
Customers should be able to follow progress of their file/application online (as it is currently done in Board of Investment or BOI).
All correspondences with any customer should be recorded in the database against the customer's unique identity (ID).
Reasons for any delay in processing an application must be posted on the website by the department immediately, so that the customer may check their account/application's progress and take necessary action ASAP.
It is the right of citizens in a civilised world to know the service standard / service delivery time for each service they ask for, from public servants. They are tax-payers. No more begging for a service from a public servant. It should be done within the time specified in "Service Delivery Time" or if it is not done, then a valid reason should be posted in the website within 24 hours so that the customer can take corrective action on their file.
...............................................
The writer is a Bangladeshi from the United Kingdom. He may be contacted at-e-mail: al_mkhan@yahoo.com