أخبار

Minister Mahmoud Sharawy, minister of local development held a meeting with Mrs. Gabriele Becker, manager of (improvement of public services in Egypt) project at the GIZ and her team in the presence of some of the ministry’s leaders.

The meeting has discussed the latest outcomes of (improvement of public services in Egypt - IPSP) project that takes place with the ministry in cooperation with the ministry of planning, monitoring and administrative reform. The project targeted two of the citizen service centers (CSC) in two governorates: Cairo (Shoubra and Maadi), and Monofeya (Shebin El-Kom & Ashmun) and will extend the project to Beni-Suef governorate in the coming period.

Minister Sharawy said that the project aims to improve the quality of public services provided to citizens and simplifying the administrative procedures required for taking the service which would raise citizens’ satisfaction. In addition, the project seeks tostrengthen the organizational and technical capacities of the CSCs and to raise citizens’ awareness and understanding of available services and access conditions.

Minister Sharawy added that the project has upgraded the physical infrastructure and strengthened the technical capacities of the CSCs in both Cairo and Monofeya and will do the same with the CSCs in Beni-Suef in the coming period. During the meeting, GIZ delegation has proposed the application of portable buses provided with devices need for provision of public services at the poor villages in Beni-Suef that do not have CSCs and the idea was praised by minister Sharawy.

His excellency asked the GIZ to make a feasibility study to evaluate citizens’ satisfaction with the quality of service at the CSCs that the project covered in both Cairo and Monofeya. Besides, he asserted on the necessity of making documentary videos to raise citizens’ awareness of the public services provided by the CSCs.

Minister Sharawy praised GIZ efforts especially with regard to the improvement of public services project and other cooperation fields with the ministry. His excellency also added that some ministries have followed the correct procedures for reviewing the public service map (PSM) and insisted on the importance of communicating with other ministries that did not send their amendments on the PSM to make sure that they followed the required procedures for reviewing it.

Further, Minister Sharawy said that the ministry will invite all ministries for a meeting in order to accredit the current version of the PSM and give their feedback or comments if any. After accrediting the PSM, a press conference will be held to announce the release of the PSM in its written and electronic version.

His excellency also encouraged the GIZ to continue their efforts to raise the capacities of the municipalities’ staff responsible for dealing with citizens and train them on how to use the PSM. He further emphasized on the necessity of evaluating the responsiveness of the participants to the training in order to ensure its effectiveness.

Minister Sharawy asked the GIZ to have a meeting with the ministry’s heads responsible for ‘voice is heard’ initiative in order to discuss potential cooperation areas and evaluate the initiative needs in order to be able to reach its results effectively.

Gabriel Becker, the head of IPSP project has extended her interest to cooperate with ‘voice is heard’ initiative and asserted on the fact that they have focused in the IPSP project on raising the capacities of the CSCs staff in the two governorates that the project covered and on upgrading their skills in dealing with citizens.

The meeting has also discussed the potential of offering study trips to CSCs staff to Armenia in order to be aware of the Armenian experience in applying ‘one/single window’ system.