What municipal services unit aims to achieve

What municipal services unit aims to achieve

We refer to the recent letters on the Municipal Services Office (MSO) and appreciate the feedback and interest shown.

The MSO will be set up on Oct 1 to improve the delivery of municipal services. These are services that pertain to the upkeep and improvement of the communal living environment. Examples of such common issues include managing the cleanliness of public areas, horticulture maintenance, and maintaining and repairing transport infrastructure.

For a start, the MSO will work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, HDB, Land Transport Authority, National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, PUB, People's Association and Singapore Police Force to improve the management of public feedback.

In the longer term, the MSO will expand its scope to review service standards and improve operational processes, particularly for services where multiple agencies are involved. The MSO will also explore working with more agencies, including town councils.

The MSO does not displace government agencies in the provision of municipal services. These agencies will continue to take charge of the operations and customer management functions under their respective domains.

We are mindful that the MSO does not create another layer of bureaucracy and lead to inefficiency. Instead, we will work hand-in-hand with the agencies to improve the public's experience on municipal services.

The public can continue to provide feedback through the existing hotlines of the various agencies that they are familiar with. Some members of the public have expressed frustration in not knowing which agency to contact when faced with some municipal problems. We will address this problem in due course.

The MSO seeks to pursue a stronger citizen-centric approach to improve the Government's delivery of municipal services. We welcome public feedback and suggestions on how the MSO can improve the delivery of municipal services and in shaping the set-up in the MSO.


This article was first published on August 30, 2014.
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