ISLAMABAD (MEDIA REPORT)
Prime Minister Imran Khan says government is working to improve the governance structure to make the future of country prosperous.
He was addressing a ceremony after the inauguration of Pakistan Citizens’ Portal in Islamabad today.
The portal will be available to citizens in the form of a cellphone app, but they will also be able to approach the government via telephone, email or written letters.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan has immense potential and we need to work hard to make this country better. He said Naya Pakistan will be created when people start owning the system after having confidence on the government.
Imran Khan said indigenous development of this app is appreciable and it reflects that old colonial mindset has been replaced with accountability for all including government, politicians and public servants.
He said Pakistan Citizens’ Portal will enable the government to understand the performance of ministries and departments. Secondly, future policies will be made after getting the public response and feedback. The Prime Minister said it will also give a better voice to overseas Pakistanis and expatriates.
Imran Khan said our policy is to improve the ease of doing business to attract foreign investment in the country which will help the economy. He said he will get report on weekly basis to check the performance of various government departments.
He said the reward and punishment system in public sector will also become easier with the coming of this system and the promotions of government servants will be judged on the basis of their performance.
The Prime Minister said PCP is a step forward towards E-governance, improving governance, and attracting foreign investments in Pakistan.
Earlier, a detailed briefing was given regarding the PCP, according to which the portal is a voice of the people. It will help resolve issues confronting disabled, overseas Pakistanis, women, minorities, investors, and politicians.
The portal will function under PM’s Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU). Key areas of PMDU include facilitation to Pakistani citizens, overseas Pakistanis and foreigners, facilitation and coordination for parliamentarians, and Prime Minister’s directives/ Task Management System.
PCP is a complete grievance redressal system, which is connected with all the government departments, while Prime Minister’s office will monitor the entire procedure.
A citizen of Pakistan can lodge his or her complaint through a smartphone app, website, e-mail or facebook. A complaint can also be got registered through a toll free number. Government departments will also hold khuli kecthahris to receive people’s complaints. All complaints will be resolved in a given timeframe and a transparent manner to the satisfaction of the complainant.
Citizens’ feedback that whether they are satisfied or not with the service delivery, will be helpful in future policymaking.
Pakistan Citizen Portal has been set up at Prime Minister’s office with an aim to timely address problems of the people and get their feedback. The Portal will be used to send complaints and suggestions to Prime Minister Office directly.
The Prime Minister Office will oversee the process of addressing the public complaints and implementation on recommendations.
When asked how the complaint portal is different from complaint cells set up in previous governments, PM Khan said: “This sort of system does not exist in Pakistan ─ and even in many European countries. It can take a huge load, it is connected. This is e-governance that was never there in Pakistan.”
The app is available to Android users here.