Citizens’ confidence in public administration grows manifold

LAUDABLE: Role of IPA in advancing efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals stressed

The public administration system of the Sultanate is one of the best and regionally laudable one and the citizens’ confidence of Omani nationals in the government and the system has grown manifold in the past few years, according to the Chief Executive of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA).

Speaking at the opening of the Arab conference on “Governance of Public Administration: The Way to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab World” under the auspices of Darwish bin Ismaeel al

Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs, Zaki bin Hilal al Busaidi, CEO of IPA, said that the public administration system in the region has been evolving over a period of time.

“The degree of coordination and the citizens’ confidence in the government and the system have grown over a period of time and one may evaluate the functions of the Sultanate’s government in the last 20 and 40 years to conclude on the efficiency,” he said, adding that “in terms of public administration, some countries have adapted and developed the principles of governance and marching forward”.

He also lauded the Centre for

Graduate Studies in the Middle East and North Africa as the road to achieving the goals of sustainable development in the Arab world, and its participation with the Institute of Public Administration and the Oman Centre for Governance and Sustainability in the Sultanate and the Arab Organisation for Administrative Development for their collective efforts in establishing a strong framework for public administration.

The conference was attended by students with experience in the field of healthcare in the Arab world, experts and specialists, representatives of international and regional organisations in the field of development, consultants and professors of universities, colleges and institutions, members of parliaments and researchers.

“Governance is a strong guarantee for sound management at all levels and today, work governance is a distinctive feature of its development. One should always learn about good governance with its essential requirements, obligations and implementation mechanisms to deliver the best service to the people,” he said.

He further noted that the Institute of Public Administration is responsible for advancing efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) with counterparts in other countries.

“To this end, the institute is cooperating with a number of specialised organisations, universities, academies, institutes and scientific centres concerned with management and human resource development.”

He also lauded the cooperation of Oman with the Arab Organisation for Administrative Development, a charitable organisation specialised in human development in the Middle East which organises major Arab conferences and gatherings.