Improving efficiency in government departments and providing greater convenience to the public should remain the Public Service Department’s (PSD) top priority.
Compared to years past, the PSD has certainly raised the professionalism and quality of service rendered by the country’s bloated civil service. However, its recent moves to improve service levels, while commendable, may not necessarily be hitting the nail on the head.
PSD director-general Tan Sri Zainal Rahim Seman has announced that government departments will now be operating an additional half hour on working days and only close at 6pm. The latest move is viewed by PSD as part of its public service transformation process and the continuous improvement of its services.
However, the public already has the option of going to the one-stop centres outside working hours to conduct their business with key government agencies. There is little point in getting departments to have longer operating hours if the public is still required to wait in a long queue. Extending operating hours will also incur higher operating cost at the expense of taxpayers’ money.
It would be better if the PSD were to focus on ensuring optimal workforce scheduling by getting more counters manned during peak periods.
As it is, there are often many counters in the government departments and agencies but frustratingly, only a few are operating.
Perhaps the public will be more than content with limited operating hours if all their interactions with the various government agencies can be completed in a shorter time.
