The focus is on cleaning

TDT | Manama

The emphasis on cleanliness and disinfecting in the wake of coronavirus pandemic is taking social hygiene to new highs. However, the constant fear of getting infected has also added to our stress level. The new stats from the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning endorse this scenario.

According to authorities, the most number of complaints they received during the three months, from 1 January to 31 March 2020, were related to cleaning services. This is according to the first-quarter data of the National Suggestion & Complaint system “Tawasul” during which it handled a total of 1,537 requests.

“Tawasul” is one of the essential eChannels that enable citizens and residents to submit their suggestions and complaints to any government entity in Bahrain easily at any time and from anywhere. Every government entity in Tawasul has assigned a dedicated team to handle the suggestions and complaints according to a pre-set performance indicator and timeframe based on the case category.

A further breakdown of the Tawasul data shows 366 of the complaints were from Capital governorate, 193 from Muharraq municipality, 727 from the northern-municipality and 251 from the southern region. A detailed review also shows that 90 per cent of the complaints were related to municipal services, and the remaining 10pc were concerning other service agencies.

In his response, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Undersecretary for Municipalities Affairs at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, said: “The municipalities have resolved most of the complaints promptly, by taking necessary corrective measures.” “We attach great importance in communicating with citizens and residents.”

Tawasul, he said, has given greater flexibility to the communication mechanisms between the municipality and citizens and has also contributed to improving the quality of government services in line with international best practices.” The Undersecretary called on citizens to send their feedback on the performance of the municipalities through Tawasul, to help authorities improve the quality of their services.