All the departments of the Ministry of the Interior, which
offer services to citizens of The Republic of Cyprus, have drawn up a
Citizen’s Charter with a view to providing fuller information and quicker
services to the public.
This important innovation marks the start of a new era in
the relations between the Ministry of the Interior and the citizens, a
relation based on mutual respect, understanding and cooperation and mainly
on the provision of substantive, immediate and impartial services to the
public.
The departments which have prepared and implemented the Citizen’s Charter
are: Land and Survey’s Department, Town Planning and Housing Department,
Migration Department, Registration Department, Special Service for the Care
and Rehabilitation for the Displaced, and Management of Turkish Cypriot
Properties.
The Citizen’s Charter has been published in many copies, which are available
at the Ministry of the Interior, its departments and at the District
Administrations.
This is it:
The Citizen’s Charter is a bond of honour between the public service and
citizens and safeguards the right of citizens to enjoy quality and
high standard services. At the same time, it helps make public servants
feel satisfaction for the services they provide to the public.
The Citizen’s Charter is not a document, which contains only theoretical
and general principles and aims. On the contrary, it contains specific
provisions and sets out specific obligations for the public services, e.g.
the period of time within which the department has the obligation to
reply, the type of information to be given etc.
On the basis of the Citizen’s Charter, public services are obliged:
to inform the public in detail on the kind of services they provide
to define and publicise standards of services
to be easily accessible and friendly to the citizen and to provide
adequate information
to explain the options afforded and give correct advice to the public
to be courteous and forthcoming in providing services and to rectify
mistakes
The Ministry of the Interior has undertaken the following obligations:
1. All letters should be replied to promptly and clearly. Every department
should set its aims/standards of service and publicise at specific
intervals the progress achieved.
2. Appointments between government officers and citizens should be held
without any delay. (Delays should not exceed ten minutes.)
3. To give specific and clear information on the services the department
is providing and at least one telephone number to ring for information.
4. Government officers should regularly ask the opinion of the public
about the level of the services provided and the results achieved.
5. To define procedures and to adopt appropriate measures, which ensure
easy and unimpeded access to the services, provided to all citizens.
© 2004 - 2007 Republic
of Cyprus, Citizen's Charter
Now, what do you do if the aims of the charter above are
not met?
I have been waiting for a reply now to a letter/fax which
I sent to the ministry of the Interior for over 9 months - no reply at
all, and that is after I sent a reminder - so what next? I don't know as I
cannot find any reference to that.
2018 Update. Still no reply. lol.
2022 Update. Still no reply.
