KARACHI, Jul 24: The Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, on Monday, said that the use of information technology, public facilitation, and merit-based appointments in government organizations could help improve service delivery and substantially reduce public complaints.
He, while briefing the media on the performance of the FO Secretariat during the visit of the Regional Office Karachi, observed that the number of public complaints filed with the federal Ombudsman against NADRA and SNGPL had reduced significantly with the improvement of their IT-based digital system.
The utilisation of information technology not only strengthens the monitoring system but it also ensures transparency in the routine business of the organization, he noted adding that the establishment of facilitation desks at all major offices of public entities for the guidance of the public and registration of their complaints might also result into a decrease of grievances.
The ombudsman also emphasised the appointment of organisational heads on merit and said that an efficient and capable head could improve the overall efficiency of an agency.
Ejaz Qureshi said that FOS had introduced an IT system in the secretariat in 2008 and now the digital system was fully active in the FO Secretariat and the entire status of all the offices around the country could easily be accessed with just a single click.
Ejaz Qureshi said that efforts were underway to make the federal ombudsman secretariat more active and effective in ensuring the resolution of issues of the public at the earliest and provision of relief to them.
The Ombudsman informed that in the year 2023, the secretariat received 102,520 complaints to date while the number of disposed-off cases remained at 103,291. He anticipated that number of complaints may reach above 180,000 in the current year.
He informed that the FO secretariat had received 164,173 complaints in the year 2022 which was 49% higher than the 110,405 complaints filed in 2021 while the number of disposed of complaints in 2022 remained at 157,798 showing a 48% increase as compared to the previous year.
The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat (FOS) disposes of a complaint within 60 days while implementation on the decision was also ensured within a month, Qureshi said adding that the compliance ratio in decided cases was over 90 percent while implementation in the remaining cases delayed due to nonavailability o funds with the relevant agency, filling of appeal to the president or matter taken to court.
He said that power distribution companies and natural gas-providing companies had a vast clientele consisting of millions of people that’s why the number of complaints against them was also higher.
The same was the case with other government entities those deal with the public or have a large number of employees he argued and added that number of public complaints against BISP, NADRA, and Postal Life insurance was higher.
He said that regional offices of the ombudsman were working in different major cities while open meetings of advisers were also being conducted at towns and Tahseel headquarters to listen to and resolve complaints of people in far-flung areas.
Advisers were also directed to hold frequent visits to departments and organisations involved in public dealing and resolve issues of minor nature on the spot he said and added that some issues were also resolved through mediation.
FOS was reaching out to people through its regional offices, Khuli Katchehries, helpline, and online apps, he said adding that FOS was receiving online complaints and was taking swift action on them.
The federal ombudsman said that FOS was also in close coordination with other ombudsman secretariats and provincial ombudsman offices through the national forum of ombudsmen.
Responding to a query Ejaz Qureshi said that the FOS as per the relevant law was authorized only to look into individual grievances while systematic or policy issues could only be addressed by the relevant forums like federal or provincial governments and parliament.
The ombudsman has prepared reports on prison reforms, street children, and other such issues by constituting high-level committees comprised of experts in the concerned fields and those were presented to the federal government and supreme court, he informed.
All the provinces had conveyed their consent for the implementation of recommendations of the report on prison reforms and progress has been made in that regard as well, he said.
On another query about the performance of district administration, the Ombudsman said that some governance issues had emerged due to the withdrawal of legal authorities from the district administration.
Efficient working of provincial and district administration could bring improvement at the grass root level so they should come out of their offices and take practical measures for providing relief to the public, he said.
The ombudsman lauded the role of the media in sensitizing the public regarding their rights and stressed that media organisations extend cooperation to help in resolving issues being faced by the public.
Senior adviser and in charge regional Office Karachi Syed Anwar Hyder, Focal person for media Taqi Muhammad Soomro were also present at the occasion.
