Ethics in public service delivery
A common perception among the citizens is that it takes unduly long time to get service in Bangladesh where public servants do not respond quickly enough in addressing citizens complaints
Muhammad Munir Chowdhury
In 1935, British Prime Minister David George commented about the ICS officers in British House of Commons- The steel frame on which the whole structure of our government of our administration in India rest. In fact, public servants are the agents for the fulfillment of the desires of the people, and development plans are implemented by them under the guidance of political leadership who steer the public servants. It is difficult by the politicians to implement development agenda without bureaucratic-arms. Public sectors role is crucial on long term economic growth by establishing a congenial climate for business and investment.
A common perception among the citizens is that it takes illogical time to get a service in Bangladesh where public servants are non-responsive in addressing citizens complaints. Peoples rights and livelihoods, land and accommodation, health and food safety, security and environment, business and investment, transportation, etc. solely rely on public offices like Police Dept., Land Admin, BRTA, BSTI, Environment Department, BOI, Health dept., etc. For example, prompt issuance of environment clearance certificate, timely clearance from Board of Investment, getting connection of gas, water and power supply within desired time, speedy registration and mutation of lands, quick clearance from RAJUK/Housing Authority, hassle free payment of vat and taxes are crucial for smooth operation and growth of business.
These are key areas where citizens deserve to have un-interrupted service from the public service departments that need efficiency, ability and transparency for driving the economy into right path. The country deserves pro-people, pro-nature and pro-development attitude and activity of the public servants in materializing the economic goals of the government.
Working in the field administration, my deep rooted feeling is that efficiency and initiatives of public servants determine the success or failure of public offices. Mere formulation of plans and policies are not sufficient enough to achieve goal rather the strategy of implementation, the mechanism of monitoring and the standard of governance are the criteria for bringing successful results. Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam are now role model in South East Asia for excellent public services. In Singapore, a business can be set up online in 15 minutes where bureaucracy has transformed the country into a compliant state under the leadership of Lee Kuan.
But people undergo woes and miseries in public offices of Bangladesh where public perceptions about government offices are painful. We criticize the political leaders for interference in public offices but in most cases public officials are primly responsible for causing impediments and bottlenecks. People believe that changing attitude and mindset of the civil servants are essential to ensure justice in the society.
A newspaper report says each year 10 lakh metric tons of substandard rods enter market. The country has 200 MS rod manufacturing industries where only 36 have BSTI license but the rest factories have been running posing a serious threat to the construction sector. Here, BSTI needs strong governance with full capability of monitoring and controlling the whole sector. Similarly 91% holding taxes remain unrealized in municipal areas which needs revamping of tax collecting offices.
In transport sector, 6.45 lac vehicles are controlled by illegal drivers where BRTA as regulating body could not prevent it due to shortage of manpower. Keeping concerned authorities as regulatory bodies, services may be rendered by outsourcing companies for shortage of manpower. Recently, DPDC has introduced on line bill payment system, prepaid metering and outsource staffing for providing quality public service. As a result, abnormal delay in providing power connection, false billing, meter tempering, pilferage, evasion, etc. are on declining trend.
All our initiatives and reforms will be fruitless without strong integrity among public servants. Reward and punishment culture as well as timely performance evaluation are core issues for establishing good governance. Departmental punishment doesnt matter in curbing harassment and corruption, rather imposing penalty or compensation from the persons for causing trouble to the citizens or harming state-interest might be strong deterrent against misdeeds. As CEO of Milk Vita, I enforced such practice and realized considerable amount of penalty from the accused officials which caused successful feedback for improving their performance and level of morality.
The colonial time concept of government officers as elite has gone and Bangladesh Civil Service is now enriched with bright and talented officers to render services for the nation. Citizens deserve to experience public servants as dynamic, productive and innovative. The burden of the cost of running public offices ultimately falls on the taxpayers who deserve service.
People demand hassle-free service, quickest service and easiest service.
Civil service should be like customer service having corporate behaviour with strong ethics in service delivery, the essence nation feels on the gracious International Public Service Day which has been observed on 23rd June, 2016.
The writer is Secretary, Dhaka Power Distribution Co. Ltd.
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