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| Sunday, 29 January 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Brokers ensure redress at some Govt offices by Jayantha Sri Nissanka Efficient and transparent administration is the key to success in any country. Though each and every government which comes to power declares that the private sector is the engine of growth, the private sector finds it difficult to function without a speedy public sector. In other words what they say is "the engine cannot function without fuel". Graduates
Heaping the public sector with graduates will not be the solution to speed up efficiency in the state services, as the government desires. Unless they are given a proper training, they will be a liability to the nation. They had the 'audacity' to form a trade union to fight for their rights even before they got their permanency. Unreasonable union activities holding the public to ransom had led many a government to kneel before the demands. Their best example is the Health Ministry. The Ministry is always embroiled in disputes with several unions. If the Ministry tackles a problem of one union, the others threaten to go on a strike. However, in order to gain first hand experience, the Sunday Observer went snooping around the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) on January 17. This is one of the major Departments where people brace for a `battle'. Subject clerk The Sunday Observer spoke to a disappointed man coming out of Room No.68 of the DMT. When queried about his forlorn looks, Perera said that he was about to purchase a van but before that, he wants to ensure that the seller is the genuine owner of the vehicle, thus avoiding complications later on. But the subject clerk who handles the vehicle number category `GF' had told him that she cannot help him, as she is clueless of the pass word to access the computer. Only the Head of the Department knows it, but he was not available that day. Disappointed Perera had then approached the police post in the RMT and explained to the sergeant on duty about his plight. Though the sergeant did have a computer at his disposal perera was told that it is not part of his job to attend to any public requests. Perera had turned up early in the morning coming from Horana to get this matter expedited, but could not get it done even at 3.00 p.m. that day Tuesday. His whole day was ruined as no one even bothered to help him. The disappointed man who never give up things easily, vanished into the crowd, perhaps to find some other way to go about it. Lengthy queues A little later, Sunday Observer met another person who had handed in the transfer papers of his motorcycle No '150-0281' way back on 03.10.2002 and even after four years or so there was no sign of the Transfer Registration paper which he had applied through normal procedure. He has been visiting the DMT several times during the past four years, at least to make a complaint to the higher authorities, but seeing lengthy queues, virtually at a standstill, almost gave up the idea. Though the one day service is being successfully implemented, the `unaffordable' who opt for normal services suffer because of delays. The DMT takes years and years to attend to ordinary applications. He remarked that if there was any shortcomings with his documents, the DMT could have informed him, but alas no such reply so far. When Sunday Observer was about to round off its snooping mission, Perera reappeared from nowhere, this time with a broad smile on his face. At last he said he was able to get everything done through a broker. He had palmed off three hundred rupees and within ten minutes the broker had come out with all the details he needed. Smooth service In contrast, several notices glare at you on every pillar and post at DMT warning the public beware of brokers. But without their help the public cannot get a smooth DMT service. The poor who cannot afford to pay the broker's fee have to suffer for years to get their work done. When reminded that bribing public officers is a criminal offence, Perera's mood turned foul and said that a system has been created in the DMT, thus forcing people to bribe. Officers do not directly accept money but only through brokers. Otherwise officers take their own sweet time to close the file or dish out excuses. There was no information counter to assist the public. Who is to be blamed, Perera questioned. These two incidents spotlight the sad situation prevailing in the public sector in our country. The Sunday Observer is ready to expose many more similar episodes. Minister of Public Administration Dr. Sarath Amunugama has a great responsibility to train his public officers to keep pace with his development plans. Above mentioned situations are very common occurrences in almost all the Government institutions. However, the new Minister of Transport A. H. M. Fowzie who is always fighting for the rights of the people has an accountability now, to convert the DMT, to a public-friendly institution and speed up the work of normal vehicle registration work. Reorganising the entire system in the DMT removing lethargic public servants, will largely help to clear the backlog in the normal vehicle registration. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
Red tape and bureaucratic bunglings delay the public needs, thus
encouraging corruption. However much any government tries to simplify the
administrative structure, the mindset of most of the Government servants is
not at all public-friendly. Public servants always point out the
difficulties of providing proper services to people in need. But if someone
is willing to part with a bribe, any matter could be settled in a day. 
