Better Public Service

Outlook Weekly November 18

As a megacity with a population of over 20 million, Beijing faces multiple challenges and difficulties in urban governance. To improve refined management and provide better public services, the Beijing Municipal Government opened a government service hotline 12345 and established a mechanism of instant response to complaints. This move has not only addressed life problems but also acquired useful experiences.

Citizens in Beijing can call 12345 to consult on policy information, complain about poor public services and report illegal construction, etc. More than 500 telephone operators are on duty 24 hours a day to ensure every issue gets dealt with. After receiving complaints, operators send them directly to relevant towns, streets, bureaus or public service enterprises. They then supervise and urge the process on to make sure people’s concerns are addressed.

According to the priorities, complaints must be replied to respectively within two hours to 15 days. For problems that cannot be solved in a short

time, operators should explain the situation carefully to complainants.

From January 1 to October 25, 5.41 million calls were received from the public. More than 70 percent of the callers expressed their satisfaction with the handling of their appeals. Based on the big data of these calls, the Beijing Municipal Government sorted out high-frequency problems and took active measures. As a representative of a megacity, Beijing’s efforts in refining management could provide valuable experience for other cities.