GOVERNMENT TO CITIZEN

We South Africans might feature at the top end of a global list for people who find fault with and complain about government, but it’s fair to say that frustration with the workings on government seems to be up there with death and taxes in the inevitability stakes just about everywhere on the planet. It doesn’t matter where you go, you’ll find people who would suggest that the phrase “workings of government” is, in itself, a contradiction in terms. Bureaucratic, bloated, wasteful, unresponsive and indifferent are other words likely to be used. All in all, it’s hard to escape the perception that governments are oblivious to citizens’ most pressing needs and concerns. And whether that assessment is fair or not, research from Deloitte reveals that citizens are increasingly expecting governments to deliver services as rapidly and effectively as the business world does – as the research puts it: if a bank can provide someone with a credit card in 48 hours, why should a citizen have to wait weeks for a birth certificate?