The system of evaluation of public services at the district level - what will it give to people?

In his speech at the meeting of the National Council on Combating Corruption on 5 March this year, the Head of State proposed to create a system in which all state services would be evaluated at the district level. So, what does this bring to ordinary citizens and what is its significance?

At the meeting, the head of state announced important news regarding the priorities facing society and state bodies, and a number of important initiatives and proposals were put forward. One of them was the creation of a system in which all public services are evaluated at the district level.

This proposal is an important innovation aimed at ensuring transparency and efficiency of public services. So, what does it bring to our ordinary citizens and what is its significance? The following can be noted in this regard.

Firstly, the population will have an opportunity to evaluate the public services they receive. That is, if people are dissatisfied with a certain public service, then, naturally, the work and quality of service in this sphere is unsatisfactory. This serves as a kind of mirror for the heads of those state bodies and organisations that are considered ‘bad’: it means that the population is not satisfied with the sector they head, which means that it is necessary to take appropriate measures to improve the quality of services.

Secondly, it is obvious to many that the issues that people in the districts and cities most often address today are related to water, gas, electricity connections, subsidies, pensions and material assistance. At the same time, citizens had problems with travelling to various institutions and the possibility of getting lost, and such inconveniences continue today. According to the President's proposal, now all this will be done through an online system. That is, people will not have to wait, they will not have to wander around, they will not have to go from office to office collecting documents.

Thirdly, the importance of these changes is that they are aimed at making public services more convenient, simple and transparent for people. Institutions serving citizens are now evaluated not only on the basis of laws, but also on the basis of true social values. With the launch of this system, a clear mechanism will be put in place to eliminate bureaucracy and red tape. In other words, it means that institutions that are supposed to serve the public cannot, on the contrary, inconvenience the public.

This innovation is in line with processes widely observed in international experience. Similar experience is observed in South Korea, France, the Netherlands, Japan, the USA, the UK, Finland and many other countries.

The introduction of a system for assessing the quality of public services is relevant for the following reasons:

- ensures transparency and impartiality of public services;

- further strengthens public confidence in the state;

- contributes to the elimination of elements of corruption in this sphere;

- prevents ‘hidden discrimination’ (division of citizens on the basis of social origin) in the provision of public services.

In conclusion, we can say that this proposal by the head of state is another bold step towards the main goal of the reforms implemented in Uzbekistan in recent years - respect for human dignity and satisfaction of the population's needs, and will be an effective solution to one of the problems troubling our people.

 

Adkhambek Rashidbekov,

Head of Department, Center for Analysis of Democratic Processes