Would be nice if for once, our government institutions consider the customer and develop their systems to be friendly. In most cases, making a system more efficient actually enhances its service delivery, while improving the economy of the country. The problem is that our planners dont see the global view, just their localised one, usually prodded by greed and avarice. Take for instance, the immigration services and its passport renewal process. The epassport was announced with fanfare, amidst claim that it would make passport issuance easier and reduce stress on applicants. One was supposed to be able to make online payment, fill an online application form, go over to the immigration office for photographing and fingerprinting. Thereafter, ones passport would be processed. First day of rollout of this, you could fill an online form; but an unwelcome surprise awaited you at the immigration office. They claim not to have your form and requested that you fill a manual form. Payment? Not seen, but you could come back in some days, read weeks, when the financial audit of bank statements may reveal your payment or you could pay afresh or expedite the audit by making some token payment. You knew you were screwed real hard and played ball. Passport in hand and you fool yourself into believing that you had escaped this process forever, since youve been informed that henceforth, you only need to apply for renewal. You were buoyed by too much confidence in the system getting better anyway. Renewal time, you suddenly realise you had been fooling yourself. You will need to go through the same rigour as you did, on first issue. How things could be better done?? On first issue, payment and application should be done online. Data capture would require applicant visiting immigration office. Passport can and should be sent to applicant, through courier. This actually serves to reconfirm residence details, submitted. Renewed passport should carry the same number as old one, albeit we could include a sequential number like 01, for first renewal and thence for subsequent renewals. Payment, application and data capture should be done online, through cyber cafés or applicants own internet connected system. Finger prints dont change and the capture is simply for comparison with that on file. There are also facial recognition softwares which will compare the picture on file with the new one.Passport should be despatched to applicants through courier. Apart from making the process more efficient and lessening burden on applicants, it creates several support service businesses that create employment. But then, those making the system this unfriendly, only think about how much they can make in bribes. They havent the capability to realise that making the system efficient may actually result in job creation that their kids benefit from, or that their kids could set up such dependent services and be self employed. These would be sustainable gains, if allowed. But the the circle continues in our corrupt existence.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 08:34:50 +0000
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