For citizens, contacting government departments and services often feels like a “Golgotha” (a bitter ordeal). In some services, staff—whether due to heavy workload or other reasons—fail to respond quickly to citizens’ phone calls, leaving people desperately seeking a public official to assist them.
In recent years, many citizens have attempted to gain assistance by sending emails, which, in many cases, also do not receive a timely response.
The problem is neither new nor unknown, and despite progress, it persists. Alarmed by the public’s distress, PASYDY (the public servants’ union) intervenes, attempting to end unanswered calls and emails within the public sector.
The trade union receives numerous citizen complaints about the obstacles they face in contacting departments and services. PASYDY, therefore, extends a hand of cooperation to the state to find solutions.
Fileleftheros understands that PASYDY sent a letter to the Directors-General of ministries and deputy ministries concerning the management of phone calls and email requests, seeking to improve the response rate of public services.
Among other points, the union states that it views positively the utilisation of tools offered by modern technology to definitively address the phenomenon of inefficient telephone call management.
PASYDY’s Letter
The letter, signed by PASYDY General Secretary Stratis Matthaiou, points out that complaints exist that phone calls go unanswered or that the public experiences excessively long waiting times, causing distress and inconvenience to citizens.
He also notes that this unfairly creates negative impressions about public servants and the public service, as Mr Matthaiou observes.
He adds: “As PASYDY, we fully understand the increased demands, workload, and often understaffing faced by ministries and particularly services dealing with public service. However, we also consider it extremely important to ensure the smooth functioning of communication with the public, both for better citizen service and for protecting the professional image of employees and the good name of the public service in general”.
Data and Information Required
The PASYDY General Secretary calls on the Directors-General to promptly forward data and inform him about five issues concerning the departments and services under their ministry, specifically regarding ensuring timely and correct citizen service via telephone and email. Among other things, PASYDY requests information on:
–The organisation and staffing of call centres in each ministry/service, aiming to address potential difficulties and problems, and provide information on how calls are managed in each case.
–The procedures applied for answering and managing phone calls, as well as the average time required to serve the public.
–Measures already taken or planned to be taken to improve telephone service.
–Any needs or suggestions that could contribute to improving the call centres’ operation.
–Data on the management of responses to citizens’ emails.
Boosting Citizen Confidence
PASYDY, according to Mr Matthaiou’s letter, acknowledges the workload its members are asked to manage, but at the same time stresses the need to eliminate the phenomenon of unwarranted targeting of public servants and to strengthen public confidence in the civil service.
In this context, the union considers it necessary to improve the services provided to the Cypriot citizen. “Our goal is in no way control, much less the assignment of any blame. On the contrary, our common pursuit must be to assist in formulating a clear and objective picture of the facts on this serious issue, so that the unwarranted targeting of public servants can be reduced or even eliminated, and citizen confidence in the public service can be strengthened”, the letter underlines.
In conclusion, the PASYDY General Secretary expresses his certainty that through collaboration and mutual information, everyone will contribute to improving the services provided and supporting the work of public officials.
The State’s Call Centres
Many government services operate dedicated call centres, according to relevant information from the Ministry of Finance. These include the Communication Centre, which serves the Social Insurance Services (Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance) and the Welfare Benefits Management Service (Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare), acting as a single point of information via the central number 1450.
Additionally, for the past five years, the Citizens’ Service Centres (KEPs) have operated a unified, nationwide call centre via the central number 22-309100, utilising the Government Unified Network. This call centre is staffed by KEP personnel, trained in the procedures, prerequisites, and services offered by the centres. Staff rotate daily as telephone operators, answering citizens’ questions and arranging appointments for the 100-plus services offered by the KEPs.
It should be noted that the KEPs offer services falling under the jurisdiction of 11 responsible Ministries/Deputy Ministries/Independent Authorities, such as Social Insurance Services (Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance), the Ministry of Interior (Population Registry), the Welfare Benefits Management Service (Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare), and the Department of Road Transport (Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works).
A new telephone service centre is also expected to launch, which will guide citizens on using government digital services. This particular centre will function as a single point for providing preliminary information on digital government services. It will offer continuous guidance on using state digital services, tools, and mechanisms, such as using and navigating the gov.cy portal, accessing CY Login, and using Digital Citizen and the electronic identity (eID).
Beyond the call centres, the digital assistant has been operating for several months, using artificial intelligence technologies to answer citizens with specific information.
