9 - 15 August 2001
Issue No.546
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 9 - 15 August 2001 Issue No.546 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
The softer touch
New phone-in and online services are your newest weapon in the fight against bureaucracy. Nevine Khalil checks out the government's kinder, gentler side
For those of you who have suffered under the hand of crippling Egyptian bureaucracy, take heart. A new phone service providing information on various government bodies and ministries is now in operation to assist hapless citizens and foreigners alike through the government's labyrinth of bureaucratic procedures. The days of languishing in queues at various government agencies (including that mother of all bureaucratic monsters: El- Mugamma' [shown in photo above]) just to ask a simple question -- only to be told 90 minutes later that your papers are not in order -- are over. Or at least that's the idea.
photo: Abdel-Hamid Eid Now, you can call the government's automated phone-in service, or visit the government's Web site (www.alhokoma.gov.eg), to make sure that you are adequately prepared. The project aims to provide information on government procedures, ultimately cutting down the frequency of fruitless and exasperating visits to government offices. A brochure on the service provided by the Ministry of Administrative Development states that the purpose of this service is to "provide the largest number of citizens with government services through an easy medium." The ambitious plan, still ongoing, also includes an online service and aims to eventually provide guidance for some 1,000 government services in both Arabic and English -- "to assist citizens and investors." According to the brochure, some errands would even be finalised over the phone in the future.
The mechanics of the phone-in service are simple enough: dial 1-3-1 and follow the instructions. Though you won't leave the house ill equipped, this won't necessarily save you a lot of time, since the dial-in service is both long-winded and slow-paced. A handsfree phone, a cup of coffee and a comfortable reclining chair are all useful amenities.
A mellow, female voice -- possibly a star radio announcer -- immediately welcomes you to the automated service, brought to you by the Ministry of Administrative Development, in cooperation with the Cabinet Decision Support and Information Centre. This is your disembodied guide through your governmental query. In preparation for the long wait to come, the voice is clearly meant to be controlled and soothing -- you can practically hear it smiling through the receiver.
At least she's polite. "Dear citizen," purrs the smiling voice, before launching into a laborious serenade of 21 government agencies you may be seeking information from -- basically a run-down of most ministries; although, surprisingly, this list does not include the four influential ministries of the interior, defence, justice or foreign affairs. Even more inexplicably, the Ministry of Information is also not available.
The government has prepared for all manner of queries. You'll find assistance on practicalities like issuing a birth certificate, opening a post office savings account and getting a new phone line or electricity metre. You can look into applying for everything from your pension to a housing grant, membership in the exporters or traders register and transferring ownership of property, from agricultural lands to grocery shops. The scope is mind- boggling: from registering orphans at a technical school to setting up a new NGO to applying for a tax or hospital licence. The list goes on and on.
Once you've been guided through the roster of choices and found an option that finally suits your query, you are at last instructed on what documents you require, where to submit them, how much you will pay in fees, and how long the procedure should take, once everything is submitted. The smiling voice tells you all this against soft background music that could send you to sleep if you don't keep on your toes.
But all that shines is not gold. Apart from the slow pace, the voice message does not loop back to the main menu when you've finished a query. After a pacifying "thank you" from the smiling voice, you are cut off and need to dial in again if you have another query.
You'll also be greatly disappointed if you choose option 12, the gateway to the Ministry of Environment. You're presented with two choices -- how to make an inquiry about an environmental study and how to file an environmental complaint. Both options are very useful in this day and age, as Egypt races to grow green fingers and pat the environment on the back, but, alas, the phone-in service is of little help. Both options lead to silence. "Press '0' if you want to listen to this message again," directs the smiling voice, after an uneasy pause. Most callers would rather listen to silence as the sun sets over the ocean on a far away tropical beach, not while pinned to a chair in their office or living room, the phone pressed to their ear.
If you don't want to be lulled into a deep sleep by smiling voice, and prefer your fingers to do the walking, you can also visit the Al- Hokoma (the government) Web site. There, you will find the same information at the touch of a mouse -- and you can choose your own music in the background. Voice information is also available on the Web site, as well as contact numbers for all the ministries and their e-mail addresses. The Web site has many more answers and information than the phone service, and will run as fast as your computer capabilities. Depending on your query, you could also be treated to a bonus, such as a glimpse of what the forms you need to fill in look like.
For example, if you are applying for Egyptian citizenship, the required form is posted on the Web site, along with the list of documents you need to attach. Of course, it is unlikely that your application will be accepted, since Egypt has some of the strictest rules in granting foreigners citizenship -- but at least now you know that such a procedure exists, and you have seen the document that proves it.
While the government's phone-in and online services can be a little tedious and time- consuming, they do offer something previously unavailable: insight into how to prepare for your battle with the bureaucracy. Knowledge is power and now baffled citizens have something to turn to. Another plus, of course, is that someone sweet-talked you through your search for guidance and even said "please" and "thank you" -- something you are unlikely to find should you show up in person.
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