WORKS MINISTER IS THE FIRST FOLLOWER

TO CITIZENS’ COMPLAINTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

WORKS MINISTRY RECEIVES 368 REQUESTS

DURING THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2015

Public Relations & Media Director at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning Fahad Buallay revealed that the Ministry’s Community Service Department of the Public Relations & Media Directorate received a total of 368 requests and complaints during the third quarter of 2015; for the months July, August and September.

Buallay explained that the Ministry is keeping pace with all the modern social media channels and technologies in response to directives from HE the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning Eng. Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, who personally follows-up citizens’ complaints and is always keen to be the first to learn of them.

In addition to the Twitter and Instagram accounts; @Bahrain_Works, the Ministry has also recently launched a Snapchat account (Bahrain_Works), through which they seek to enhance communication with citizens and residents. Buallay commended the efforts extended by the PRMD team and their keenness to achieve progress in all media related fields.

Buallay stated that the number of requests and complaints that the Public Relations & Media Directorate responded to within only 10 days from the date of reception, or less, amounted to 202 requests and complaints out of the total number of requests, with an average of 7 requests per day. 

Buallay explained that the figure reflects the active interaction between the Ministry and citizens and residents; in line with the initiatives taken by the Public Relations & Media Directorate of the Ministry. This also comes in response to directives from HRH the Prime Minister urging the Ministry to respond to citizens’ requests and complaints promptly. The number of applications received at the roads sector during the third quarter of this year amounted to 298 applications and complaints, while the sanitary engineering sector received 70 requests and complaints.

According to Buallay, August registered the highest number of requests; with a total of 139 requests, while September came next and registered 120 requests, and July registered 109 requests. As for the response mechanism, the Ministry is keen to respond to any request or complaint in record breaking time; in response to directives from HRH the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister in this regard.

Most requests reached the Ministry via the phone (186 requests/complaints), then came newspapers with 56 requests/complaints, the radio (9 requests/complaints), Twitter (28requests/complaints), personal visits (25 requests/complaints), Instagram (16 requests), the email (6 requests), requests transferred from other directorates (23 requests), Tawasol (17 requests) and the mail box (2 requests).

According to Buallay, the 3 repeated requests in the roads sector are pavements and roads maintenance requests, roads revamp and expansion requests and new roads pavement requests. As for the sanitary engineering sector, most requests centered around the construction and upgrade of sewerage networks, the construction of storm water drains and connecting houses to the sewerage networks.