The Fijian Government is to develop Customer Service Guidelines for the country’s Public Servants after Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said some officers were “actually quite rude”.
“These officials believe that because they are in a position of authority, they can treat the ordinary citizen in whichever way they like,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum (pictured) said during a Parliamentary debate.
“I mean, we see the language that they have, calling someone lewa (girl) come and do this, bhaini (sister) come and do that,” he said.
“Whatever it is, that is not the right way to address members of the public.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said if someone rang the wrong Department, there was often no effort made to transfer them to the right one.
He said the new guidelines would consolidate all aspects of customer service delivery processes and activities.
“It will cover pretty basic things like calling someone Mr Poasa or Mr Prasad, Sir or Madam,” the Minister said.
“It makes the citizen feel you are giving them that particular level of importance; that they are actually your customer, your client, as opposed to them coming up to you and kowtowing to you and indeed being obsequious to you, just so you can do the work you are paid to do.”
He said the guidelines would be rolled out through the Public Service Commission with the Permanent Secretaries of each Department responsible for ensuring they reached all levels of the Public Service.
“It is a culture that has to change,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
However, he said there were officials “who go beyond the call of duty and are fantastic in their responses”.
Suva, 22 February 2022
