The Dominica government is moving to provide the public with adequate access to the services which it provides.
Acting Cabinet Secretary, Careen Prevost spoke recently of government’s plans to improve priority areas identified in the public service.
“What we have done in the last few months, we’ve undertaken some in-depth consultation with the ministry, we have been doing what we call a service delivery assessment,” Prevost revealed during a recent edition of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s Anou Palay talk show. “We have met with over 30 departments that provide services to the general public and we have also conducted a public survey to identify the priority areas for improvement in the public service.”
She said the survey has elicited “very interesting” and “detailed” feedback from the public.
“People have actually told us some of the things they are looking forward to seeing in the public service,” Prevost stated.
She said among those expectations is access to information, “and this is a challenge.”
Prevost pointed out that individuals want to know how to apply for a certain license or a certain service and where do we get the forms? Or how much does it cost?”
“We want to make sure that we can provide sufficient access to information about the services that government provides,” she stated.
She said with the new measures, someone should not have to leave their home to get information about how to receive a marriage license.
“I should be able to sit at home and get the information over the internet and have a form downloaded that I can fill out and then come to the ministry,” Prevost said.
Everything online nowadays, and is now the government finally deciding to do all of those things. If COVID-19 wasn’t around they would probably never have reached that level.
Things are just backward in that country.
Yes, pls fix the postal service to the US and the UK. Why the hold up. Liat is back in service.
Please fix the postal service to US and UK? LIAT back in service? I laugh.
“We want to make sure that we can provide sufficient access to information about the services that government provides,” she stated.
She said with the new measures, someone should not have to leave their home to get information about how to receive a marriage license.
“I should be able to sit at home and get the information over the internet and have a form downloaded that I can fill out and then come to the ministry,” Prevost said.
This is not related, at least I don’t think so. The service you refer to may indeed need fixing, but that is a different discussion. Please do not mix apples and oranges here.
Which service exactly are they referring to? No doubt the Red Clinic only.
I have a simple solution. Remove some of those people who answering phones in government offices and ministries. A lot of them drop calls, never answer the phone, and a lot of the times when they do answer, they seem uninterested in helping, or even knowing the information, or even wanting to find out the information for you. That would be the first step in improving our access to government info and services. Too many of those people in those offices are pull string jobs who are not fit for the position. PUBLIC SERVICE. you are expected to serve the public.
Very valid points indeed. As good a place to start as any.
I was actually going to make that same point and came across yours. We cannot be preaching improvement in services and the same grumpy, unmannerly and unprofessional staff are the ones who will be serving us.
Please fix the post service!! Priprity please!
This heavily bureaucratic government after twenty years now speaking about easy access to public information and service.
Has Roosevelt Skerrit had a nocturnal epiphany? To get any information, document or service from any government entity is like pulling teeth without anesthetic.
Every department, office, ministry of this owl-like government is badly dysfunctional as one corrupt man, the least educated leader among his peers, in the OECS, has a stranglehold on civil servants’ necks.
For any improvement in the ease of doing business in Dominica, the Prince of Darkness has to GO and GO NOW!
Did you forget he has two doctorates?
Two doctorates? What is the portfolio reflecting this commical stunt.
Our people and country needs to be developed and we desperately need in office people who are extremely knowledgeable trusted, thoughtful, some level of management, Government procedures and policies and practices and management.
Our nature Isle desperately needs decent Government, committed professional educated disciplined people be whom we can and will trust to manage this process on behalf of the Dominican People.
We need to clean up the Government Civil Service that these professionals are able to comprehend and function perfectly. The Government must lead this effort that our people are able to function susincly as civil servants on behalf of the people of Dominica.
Their role is to ensure that every Government Service is well managed with decent, professional trustworthy reliable, mature focused Dominicans. I’m not happy with this Government Functions. I have no idea of their vision. Is it Red Clinic…
More to the point: when writing to a government ministry about a concern, to sound an alert or to make a suggestion, can one at least expect acknowledgement of receipt, let alone a response.
I think the government has to go much further than that. It is good to be able to access information from home, but one should also be able to access services from their home at any time of day, any day of the year.
It has been the bane of everyone, especially those who live in the outlying areas to have to waste an entire day to accomplish the simplest of tasks when dealing with the government. First you have to go there to get a form, then they sent you over there to pay, then go back to some other place to get the service. Then it’s paper and stamps and carbon paper and more stamping. GET INTO THE 21st CENTURY!!!
Doing away with the need to make a trip to the post office for hundreds of dollars worth of stamps for certain documents is a start towards delivering better service. The required fees can be paid to the ministry directly, the government still get to collect its taxes.
“People have actually told us some of the things they are looking forward to seeing in the public service,” Prevost stated.
But, is that not what you asked them?
I think Careen Prevost is just pointing out they are getting good response to they survey, and the public is pointing out where they would like to see improvement. This indicates attempt at improvements. Kudos to her, she is trying.
Thank you very much for your service Ms. Prevost.
the dumbness! like she was surprised! I swear man. This whole government game is being played by people who should not be. Yes some of the, have book smart, but they have no common sense. they travel and they still come back and do the same nonsense. set of pull string set of nonsense. anybody can be a PS or a Director of aa ministry. Anybody can be a Senator or a MP. pure circus.