ISLAMABAD -UNS:The Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan Ejaz Ahmed 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 on 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 IT system in the secretariat in 2008 and now digital system was fully active in the FO Secretariat and entire status of all the offices around the country could easily by accessed with just a single click.
Ejaz Qureshi said that efforts were underway to make federal ombudsman secretariat more active and effective for ensuring resolution of issues of 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 number of disposed off cases remained 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 year 2022 which were 49% higher then the 110,405 complaints filed in 2021 while number of disposed of complaints in 2022 remained 157,798 that showed 48% increase as compared to the previous year.
The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat (FOS) disposes off 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.
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