Background of the establishment of the One Stop Shops and current activities
Background of the establishment of the One Stop Shops
The Country Programme Action Plan (2013-2017) between Ministry of Planning and Finance and UNDP had been signed in terms of supporting the democratization of Myanmar. In doing so, the General Administration Department-GAD , on behalf of Ministry of Home Affairs, has been closely cooperating with UNDP in Local Governance Mapping and its related activities.
With the purpose of more effective implementation of local Governance, the workshop on “Good Local Governance and People Centered Services” was held on 17th August 2013 at MICC-II with the cooperation of Ministry of Home Affairs and UNDP. In addition, cooperating with UNDP, Myanmar Good Governance Forum had been held in 14 regions/states from November 2013 to February 2015 with three phases. The OSS is the follow up action of this forum and aiming at one of the processes of Myanmar Good Governance.
The objectives of the establishment of One Stop Shops
1. To provide well services in fulfilling the basic needs of the people
2. To nurture the effective service delivery practice by preventing corruption and bribery
3. To develop the trust of people on government and departments
4. To support check and balance between departmental staff as well as departments
The working committee on the establishment of One Stop Shops was organized on 20th May 2015 at the time of previous government. In this committee, Deputy Minister for Ministry of Home Affairs was designated as Chairman and Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs was designated as Secretary and other 14 members were also included. So, there are altogether 16 members for this working committee.
At the new democratic government era, the working committee has been reorganized on 13th August 2016. In this updated committee, Major General Aung Soe, Deputy Minister for Ministry of Home Affairs is designated as Chairman and Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs is designated as Secretary and other 13 members are also included. So, there are altogether 15 members for this working committee.
With the purpose of effectively establishment and implementation of One Stop Shops at townships, Regions/State Ministers, member of Nay Pyi Taw Council are designated as Chairman of implementation committee and other 12 members are also included. And so, there are altogether 13 members in this committee.
The Establishment of One Stop Shops across the nation
As the first phase of the establishment, 72 One Stop Shops were opened in 72 townships where the district office based on. After that, as the second phase, 316 One Stop Shops had been opened across the nation except 14 townships where the situation could not available for that.
The Establishment of One Stop Shops in 2017
Up to 2017 April, 316 of 330 OSSs had been opened across the nation. 7 townships in Kachin State, 1 township in Yangon Region and 6 townships in Shan State , altogether 14 townships, could not open OSSs.
The Forces and Departments in One Stop Shops
As an initial plan, the seven departments, General Administration Department, Immigration and National Registration Department, Farm land Management and Records Department, Public Health Department, Internal Revenue Department , Development Affairs Committee, and Electrical Power Distribution Corporation, were attached at the One Stop Shops in terms of saving time and money and convenience for relation with departments for the sake of the people. After that, in accord with the basic need and demand of the people, another eight departments; Myanmar Police Force, Fire Service Department, Livestock and Cure Department, Rural Development Department, Forestry Department, Social Welfare Department, Fishery Department and Labour Department, are attached at the One Stop Shops. So, now, there are up to 15 departments and closely cooperating the public service delivery works.
The services provided by One Stop Shops
There are 13 different kinds of services that are provided by One Stop Shops. They are:
1. Issuing license for restaurant
2. Issuing license for private mini market
3. Conducting Excise Tax and collecting four kinds of tax
4. Copying Land Record Form No (105) and applying land grant
5. Issuing license for billiard game
6. Issue related with applying permit for entertainment
7. Issues related with migration of households and birth and death registration
8. First Information cases
9. Fire security issue
10. Issues related with municipality affairs such as water and sanitation
11. Issue related with forestry
12. Issues related with social security, labour and employment
13. Issues related with livestock and fishery
Service Delivering of One Stop Shops
Since the very first establishment of One Stop Shops, altogether 1812844 services had been already provided. Among them, Shan State stands as the most service delivering one with the accomplishment of 663,485 services and Kayah State stands as the least one with the accomplishment of 6793 services.
Training programs for the Staff of General Administration Department who will be attached at One Stop Shops
With the purpose of the capacity development of the Staff Officers of the District General Administration Departments who are to be assigned as the Monitors of One Stop Shops for effectively and successfully implementation, 72 Staff Officers are provided training programs in Nay Pyi Taw from 2nd September 2015 to 4th September 2015 with the help of UNDP. In addition, 244 Deputy Township Officers from Township General Administration Department are provided training programs in terms of their capacity development at Institute of Development Administration-IDA (Minglardon) from 29th March 2016 to 1st April 2016 with the help of UNDP. During these trainings, terms of reference for OSS Monitor and OSS operating procedures had been delivered to the trainees.
The Physical Appearance of One Stop Shops
As the location, OSS is opened in the compound of Township/District General Administration Department or other convenience place. There are 8 to 15 desks/services at OSS. Next, basically, reception counter is placed at the entrance of OSS office with certain table and chair. In addition, complaint letters are received by table/counter and recommendation box. In terms of transparency and information, accessible services and procedures are displayed in vinyl at public places and distributed pamphlets for those services. As the technical assistant, the UNDP provided 17 sets of computers and respective region/state also provided necessary assistant. Moreover, as an additional assistant, drinking water, television and toilets are available at there.
Management and Personnel Affairs
As the monitor for OSS, deputy township officer from General Administration Department is assigned to do so. There is no specific formation for OSS. Generally, one to two staff works for one desk and so there are altogether about 20 staff working alternatively at OSS. The complaint letters are formally received at reception counter. The procedures of OSS are same as departmental ones as there is no specific provisions for that. Regarding with reporting and monitoring, there is a directive to submit report weekly or monthly but no official instruction is conducted for OSS. Among 15 departments for OSS, Immigration Department, the GAD, Land Record Department, Myanmar Police Force, Development Affairs Committee, Electrical Power Corporation and Fire Service Department are the most service deliverers. Basically, each desk/counter delivers 2 to 10 services. Here, depends on the nature and kind of service, servicing time and standard are different. Regarding with cash management, generally it cannot be acceptable.
The Strength of One Stop Shops
- Access to get services at one place by saving time and cost
- Affordable to get better and easier services
- Reduce corruption and red tape system
- Enhance to get information transparently
- Reduce centralization
- Let know the information related with services
- Provide face to face service
- Provide services demanded by public as much as possible
- Get good attitude of the public
- Develop the capacity and accountability of the staff
- Accelerate the interdepartmental collaboration and improve the image of departments
The Weakness of One Stop Shops
- Arranged to open One Stop Shops within a short period of time
- No human and financial resources for One Stop Shops provided by government budget and formation
- Authorized person for One Stop Shops is still limited
- No effective training as a result of alternative assignment and studied from the beginning
- Provide same services as township offices
- Need to conduct standards and norms
- Decreasing of public interest and need to promote trust on One Stop Shop
- Need to promote the monitoring of Region/State Sub Committee
- Shortage of resources for Information and technology
Current Activities of One Stop Shops
- Having the monitoring of ethnic affairs and public service delivery committee
- Arrange to combine and distribute the accessible services that can be provided by OSS office with the confirmation of relevant departments
- Distribute the facts that should be included when the OSS are being inspected
- Encourage the Local Governments to assist more
- Call on other partnership institutions for helps( UNDP, WB, Action Aid, etc…)
- Raising awareness on public delivery channels via documentary, pamphlet…)
The facts that should be included when OSS are being inspected
The following are the facts that should be included when OSS are being inspected:
- Location
- Setting of the office
- Numbers of departments attached at OSS
- Records of activities taken by monitor
- Records of service delivery taken by respective department
- Condition of the staff attached at OSS
- Actions taken within conducted timeframe
- Responses of Complaint Center
- The services that should be included in accordance with the demand of local people
- The conditions of accessories such as computers and printers
- Number of times and recommendations of Senior Officials of Union Ministries
- Number of times and recommendations of administrators from Region/State/District/Township General Administration Departments
- Interest of the local people and awareness activities for them
- Welfare of the staff attached at OSS
- Challenges and needs regard with the establishment of OSS
Recommendations for ongoing process of One Stop Shops
- Members of OSS working Committee should encourage and support strength and effectiveness of OSS
- Each Ministry should assign a certain unit that can fully take accountability for OSS
- Manual for Monitor Official of OSS should be conducted
- Information related with OSS should be aware more expansively
- The capacity of Ward/Village Tract Administrators, resource persons for the people regard with information, should be upgraded.
- Budget should be allocated for OSS in terms of sustainable
- Some procedures should be released and inform this conditions to respective levels of departments
- Information counter should be placed at OSS
- The Capacity of the staff of respective departments attached at OSS should be upgraded
We, General Administration Department, one of the governmental departments, will be cooperating together with people hand in hand to reach the goal of public service delivery same as other departments.
