‘Will take care of people’s complaints’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Pakistan Citizen Portal (PCP) at the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday and vowed to take action on people’s complaints filed through the portal.

Replying to questions by a select group of media at the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister vowed to take stern action against the corrupt and maintained that the corrupt will term the action as a threat to democracy.

The premier said Pakistan has enormous potential to make progress but corruption is a stumbling block. He said Pakistan is lagging behind in the region because of failure of governance. He said the country could get rid of heaps of foreign debts through investment.

“If potential of the country is utilised properly, Pakistan will not need to take loans,” he said. The premier emphasised that no conditionality was involved in Saudi economic package and more good news like that are in the offing.

Imran Khan castigated those who will be nabbed for corruption and will ask ‘Hamain Kyun Nikala’ (Why we have been ousted?). The prime minister described the portal system as "the first step towards improving governance" and creating a conducive environment for investment.

"The system that we've developed is a mean to change the prevailing mindset. For the first time, the bureaucrats, ministries, employees and members of the Parliament will be accountable," the prime minister said, adding that it would give ordinary Pakistanis, both at home and abroad, a voice. He said that the system will also address the concerns of investors.

"Most of the complaints of corruption are received from government departments. The portal will make it easy for me to get details of where in Pakistan the complaints are coming from, about which ministries," said Imran Khan. He said the system will enable the government to keep track of what's happening in various ministries and departments, and how they are performing, and subsequent policies will reflect what the public wants. He said all policy-making will be done after hearing the voice of the people. He said complains against private institution could also be made through the portal.

"I believe this will bring a quantum change in Pakistan which is very important for our future. We need investment. We have inherited a mountain of debt, and if we want to get out of it, there is only one way -- we need to bring investment to Pakistan," the premier said.

Imran Khan explained that foreign investment may increase in Pakistan when barriers to investment are removed by addressing and resolving complaints lodged through the portal. He recalled a visit to Turkey while Recep Tayyip Erdogan was prime minister.

"He told me that he had a complaint cell in his office for investors, which led to a change in his office,” the premier said, adding: "Our youth have developed this portal in-house, and it can be expanded. It will be connected with the offices of the provincial chief secretaries. They will be pressured then to give answers. We will know what's happening in the province and what departments are performing."

"Before putting in your complaint on the system, the address and ID card details will all be asked for and this database will be connected with National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), so we will know if a complaint is authentic or not," the prime minister said. He said the people will be informed how long it will take to receive a response to their complaints. He said it is an all-rounder app with every government department under it; from health to police to education. He said it is all encompassing.

"Every week, I will receive all the details about complaints from each area, and which ministries complaints are coming from. The people in government will realise that they must serve citizens, since their salaries are being paid through taxpayers' money," said the premier. Additionally, the prime minister said, all complaint data will be published so that the public can hold provincial governments accountable as well.

"Naya Pakistan will come into being when the Pakistani people own the government and rely on the government to help them," he added. He said the system will also make it easy to punish and reward government officers on the basis of their performance.

"Complaints will appear on the ACRs of officers who don't perform and so promotions will be on merit. A merit-based system will be created," the premier said. When asked how the complaint portal is different from complaint cells set up in previous governments, the premier said: “This sort of system does not exist in Pakistan and even in many European countries. It can take a huge load, it is connected. This is e-governance that was never there in Pakistan.”

He said the governance system will push all departments. “As prime minister, I had no way of knowing how efficient various departments are. If they collude (with each other), I wouldn't get feedback. The citizens will hold the government accountable, and such feedback has never been given to any prime minister in Pakistan before," he said.

The prime minister said the purpose of the portal is to timely address the problems of the people and get their feedback. He said it will be available to citizens in the form of a cellphone app, but they will also be able to approach the government via telephone, email or by posting letters. He said the portal will be used to send complaints and suggestions to the Prime Minister Office directly. He said the PM Office will oversee the "process of addressing the public complaints and implementation on recommendations". Imran Khan praised his Secretary Azam Khan for developing the system as he earlier did the similar job in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while he was chief secretary of the province.