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The paper chase

1 August 2008

The assembly is finally over. It is now time for the government to get down to some serious work. Because the work of pretty much everybody is out on a limbo. We, as a nation, seriously need to be enabled. It is time to refer to that one-stop-shop promise. We are talking paper work here. Yes that laborious process that impedes development, be it government or private. From getting a business license to building a house, the paper trail is a nightmare. And, save for an organization or two, the procedures have not changed in decades.

The ‘come back tomorrow’ or in some cases ‘after a few months’ scenario has to change. Everyone knows time is money, yet when it comes to the private sector, no one seems to care. Getting any work done entails months of not just paper but also people chasing. This is pretty hard on the private sector as precious time that could have been expended on useful work is lost. The impact is even more severe on rural people who have to walk long distances just to find that either the person in charge is not there, or the process will take days.

The existing system is one that has come down from the days of the Raj. Today we are riding the information highway. When elsewhere people can get all their paperwork done online, we need to at least speed up the process. That means doing away with the old system altogether. A step in that direction would benefit everyone and will certainly be appreciated. All the formalities that bog down the pace of work should be streamlined. The efficient delivery of services should be the hallmark of this government. Bring on the one-stop-shops, in every office.

The government is there to serve the nation. However, just serving the nation is not enough. It is about how well the nation is served. At the moment, the service is grossly inadequate. Indeed, in some instances, it is painful. Every person processing a business or building a house knows just how frustrating it is. Tackling the paper trail is the kind of change people expect from the government.

Because it was promised. Now it is up to the government to deliver on the promise and make life a lot easier. Work to enable work.

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under Editorial 

Comments

One Response to “The paper chase”

  1. pD on August 3rd, 2008 2:04 pm

    infact ethical work culture needs to be instilled in all people. it’s not just the people who are dealing with papers..but it’s also with the others who are pushing the papers. Sometimes the paper pusher coming with unnecessary pressures just demotivates the system to move for postive changes

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