News Desk : dhakamirror.com
More than 100,000 participants have contributed their responses to reform commission’s online survey
80% of the respondents believe that the administration is not approachable for the general public, according to a survey conducted by the Public Administration Reform Commission.
Additionally, 66% of participants feel that civil servants act as if they are rulers, based on the survey of over 100,000 individuals.
31% of those surveyed reported experiencing rude behavior from government employees, while 42% think that obtaining services is impossible without paying bribes, and 46% have faced harassment when trying to access services.
The reform commission, led by Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, carried out the survey online to gather insights on various public administration reform issues.
The survey included a section for open comments.
On Wednesday, the reform commission presented its report, which includes around 200 recommendations, to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
The complete report, along with other documents, was made available on the Cabinet Division website on Saturday.
The commission’s survey revealed that 56% of respondents view political interference as the primary barrier to making public administration officials more approachable, while 42% identify corruption as the main challenge.
96% of participants believe that the public administration lacks transparency and accountability, 84% feel that reforms are essential, and 69% think the administration has not been neutral over the past 15 years.
Only 4% believe that salary increases and benefits would reduce corruption and bribery, while 52% assert that the main responsibility of the administration is to ensure accountability, and 36% think that the top reform priority should be to eradicate corruption.
Respondents were also asked about the effectiveness of local government bodies such as union parishad, municipality, upazila parishad, and zila parishad.
Approximately 68 percent of people feel that the zila parishad is ineffective, while 76 percent believe that the upazila parishad could better serve citizens if it were strengthened. Additionally, 47 percent think that union parishads and municipalities should be integrated into the administration.
BRIBERY
The reform commission carried out another survey involving 5,233 citizens who utilized services from various offices, including the Tehsildar Office, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Office, Sub-Registry Office, Settlement Office, police precincts, Income Tax Office, Municipal/City Corporation Office, and service providers for electricity, gas, and water bills, as well as healthcare.
Half of the respondents indicated that receiving services from the police without paying bribes is nearly impossible. Additionally, 42 percent reported experiencing bribery and corruption at the income tax office, with 10 percent facing harassment there. At the Tehsildar Office, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Office, Sub-Registry Office, and Settlement Office, 43 percent had to pay bribes.
In municipalities and city corporations, 32 percent of service seekers reported encountering misbehavior, while 28 percent had to pay bribes, according to the survey.
Among the offices providing electricity, water, and gas, 42 percent expressed dissatisfaction, and 18 percent reported irregular water supply.
Nearly all respondents voiced dissatisfaction with health services, with 46 percent describing them as substandard.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
The reform commission examined the findings and analyzed various documents and literature on public administration to pinpoint issues such as corruption, political interference, inefficiency, bureaucratic attitudes, lack of transparency, poor accountability, limited public participation, and inadequate coordination.
“The public administration must be restructured to be more people-oriented, accountable, efficient, impartial, and effective,” states the commission report.
To create an efficient administration, training, capacity building, and the development of strategic leadership are essential.
The commission recommends that the objectives of public administration should focus on being people-oriented, transparent, and accountable, enhancing efficiency and capacity, ensuring impartiality, and improving proficiency in public services.
– Input from The Daily Star was used in this article.
