In a bid to enhance citizen engagement, the Office of the Prime Minister has hosted its first-ever workshop on the Government Communication System (GCS) for Local Authorities.
 
Held in Mariental, the workshop brought together public relations officers from local authorities across the country.
 
Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, the Deputy Director in the Office of the Prime Minister, Alan Hanse, explained that the training covers practical tools, such as suggestion boxes and online feedback platforms, to enable institutions to respond more effectively to public concerns.
 
“We administer the system; we make sure that the system works. And we will require from them a report on a monthly or quarterly basis to submit to us to see what the queries or the issues that people are struggling with. So, as the highest office in the land, apart from the Office of the President, we are supposed to filter this information to the Secretary of Cabinet, which will then report to the cabinet. So, the aim is that the burning issues on the ground will reach the highest level and will then get the necessary attention.”
 
Hanse said sentiments shared by local authorities' representatives give the impression that the third-tier government is being excluded from the state's national programmes.
 
“They feel left out; they feel that it is a long time coming that the government actually looks at them, and that is not the perception from our side. From our side, it seems they want to be on their own. So, this is something that I can take back to the office to say - the local authorities want everything rolled out to the central government, and the regional councils are also to be rolled out to them.” Hanse added.