Citizens Rated the Quality of Services Provided by Public Administration with a Three

One thousand Croatian citizens participated in a telephone evaluation of the work of public administration bodies and stated that the officials at the counters, in ministries, and in local government bodies deserved a three for their work on a scale from 1 to 5. The Survey on the Work of Public Administration was conducted for the Ministry of Administration by the IPSOS agency, and the work of 18 bodies was evaluated (Fina, HZZO, HZMO, HZ, HAKOM, MUP, Tax Administration, etc.)

The best rating was given to registry offices, and how could it not be when people go there to get married, which most Croatians consider a joyful event in life. Thus, registrars received a score of 3.6, and immediately behind them, county hospitals received good ratings, with satisfaction expressed mainly by respondents of older age.

This survey is the first of its kind in Croatia and showed that Croatian citizens expect public administration officials to be polite the most. This was, on the list of suggestions for what should be changed in the work of public administration, the number one request from respondents. The survey also showed that 94 percent of respondents have never submitted a complaint or suggestion to a public administration body.

– 5.5 percent of respondents complained about the work of our officials, and most of them were men over 60 years old, with higher education, from Zagreb and Slavonia, said Darija Gradski, the ethics commissioner at the Ministry of Administration.

– We have a prevailing normative optimism. Frequent changes in regulations aim to solve the problem, but this creates legal uncertainty. A special relationship must be maintained with entrepreneurs, and we must stop the practice of “you need one more paper,” said Deputy Minister of Administration Žarko Katić.

Namely, about 260,000 people work in public administration bodies. The Deputy Minister did not know the total state contributions for their salaries, but he emphasized that it certainly involves significant funds, and accordingly, the services they provide to citizens should be at a higher level than a good rating. He also pointed out that he is personally not satisfied with the rating, citing the need for importing labor in the construction sector as an example of why.

– In certain sectors, such as construction, shipbuilding, or tourism, there is a lack of qualified labor, and these entrepreneurs are seeking higher quotas for work permits. They must be allowed to engage workers from other countries. I do not know the direct damages from the inefficiency of public administration, but the indirect ones are obvious. An unfavorable entrepreneurial climate is created, investment is made more difficult because investors do not have a sense of legal security, said Katić.