Information transparency bill proposed to set up unit for public services

On Monday, the Standing Committee on Innovation and e-Policy held the initial discussion of the draft amendment to the Law on Information Transparency.

Minister of Digital Development and Communications N.Uchral informed that Resolution No. 149 of 2019 of the government of Mongolia made it possible to provide the services of several government organizations from one point. Currently, 186 employees from 12 state administrative organizations in Ulaanbaatar and 19 employees from eight government organizations provide 448 types of services in six service centers in Ulaanbaatar, while 179 employees from 24 government organizations provide 1,285 types of services in 21 local centers.

“Although one-stop service centers have the advantage of allowing citizens avoiding to have to go to many government organizations to receive services, citizens send many complaints because there is only one center in a province or district and that center does not provide all state services despite having many employees. They often have long queues too. This shows that there is a need to deliver public services in a more optimal way in terms of structure and organization,” he said.

Services of state administrative organizations such as the General Authority for State Registration and the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority, which do not have local branches, are not provided locally. Therefore, the minister emphasized the need to provide 181 types of services of 44 government organizations without local branches as operators in order to provide accessible government services to citizens and legal entities.

He also proposed establishing a unit responsible for public service issues under the governors’ office of provinces and implementing a unified standard of public service operators.

“It is necessary to establish a government implementing agency or a state administrative organization in charge of public services under the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, with the functions of providing professional and methodological assistance and proper management and organization to one-stop service centers. This is important for controlling and improving the quality of government e-services and optimizing the hierarchy of government services in a unified organization to create a government service without bureaucracy and fewer steps of process,” Minister N.Uchral highlighted.

Based on the above-mentioned needs, relevant studies and reports, the following provisions are reflected in the draft amendment.

In order to increase the quality and availability of public services, conditions will be created for people and legal entities to receive government services comprehensively through the nearest one-stop service center, a public administrative organization responsible for public services will be established and the minister of digital development and communications will appoint heads of local branches or units of the state administrative organization for government services. • The government will approve the

list of services and procedures for providing services to individuals and legal entities by the state administrative organization responsible for public services and its local departments, branches and units. • Services of state administrative organizations without local branches or units will be provided by the state administrative organization responsible for government services.

The minister believes that with the approval of the bill, citizens and legal entities will be able to receive public services regardless of their location. The draft amendment will also ensure transparency and openness of public information, prevent bureaucracy, corruption and any conflicts of interest, and increase citizens’ trust in the government.

During the meeting, lawmakers clarified how state information is being made open and transparent to citizens.

Minister N.Uchral stressed that the information of government organizations, state and local owned companies, persons performing certain functions of government organizations, public radio and television and political parties should be made publicly open. Out of the total 209 types of information, about 90 have been disclosed. The ministry is demanding the relevant organizations to disclose information, he said.

The minister added, “The Ministry of Digital Development and Communications is working to install kiosks in rural areas and aims to provide opportunities for citizens to have more options for receiving public services. In other words, all government services will be provided locally and bureaucracy will be reduced under the bill.”