Shape up or ship out, officials warned
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Civil servants must work harder and improve service under new act: Wissanu
DEPUTY Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday urged civil servants to work harder and improve services to the public, as required under the new State Service Facilitating Act.
Failure to raise the standard and speed of their service could result in disciplinary charges such as transfer or dismissal, he warned. Wissanu made the remarks during the opening of a seminar on the new Act organised by the Office of Public Sector Development Commission.
He told civil servants they needed to prepare themselves within a 180-day framework, adding that a lot of adjustment was required. It was also time for public offices to communicate and explain to the public about the new Act. “There’s no excuse for you after the given timeframe [has expired and the Act becomes effective],” said the deputy premier.
Wissanu admitted there had been many complaints of below-standard service.
The purpose of the seminar was for public officials from all government agencies in the central region of the country to be informed about the new Act, which was passed on January 16.
The bill was initiated by Justice Minister and National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) member General Paiboon Koomchaya, who saw it as part of the effort to “return happiness to the people”, said Wissanu.
The deputy PM said the ultimate goal for public service improvement was to turn time-consuming, complex and confusing processes with ill-mannered service from officials into “convenient” service centres.
He compared these centres to “7-11” convenience stores, saying the reason people go to “7-11” stores instead of the local market was because they perceived them as being more convenient, faster, cleaner and providing better service. Turning current government agencies into convenience centres was the key, he said.
In order to create this convenience for the people, government agencies must look to create a “one-stop-service” where customers could make their requests and receive their service all under one roof, without having to wander to various desks, offices or buildings.
The one-stop-service centres would also operate inside shopping malls such as CentralWorld and 10 other major shopping locations. However, further details are yet to be confirmed.
The 180-day period before the introduction of the more convenient services will be challenging. State agencies have to prepare a “People’s handbook” containing detailed and specific information about the new process and what documents are required, as well as the specific time-frame for completing the services.
Wissanu said the requirements could be hard for some government agencies who had never compiled a handbook before, so the process must begin now.
Article 7 of the Act stated that “in the case where citizens need to request the state’s permission, the official authoriser must compile the “people’s handbook” that consists of principles, rules, methodology, and conditions of the application.
“It must also describe the process and time frame of the task together with a list of documents and evidence required for the application. The office may allow applicants to submit their applications electronically.”
