Public Relations and Media Director at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Fahad Buallay revealed that the Ministry’s Community Service Department of the Public Relations and Media Directorate received a total of 385 requests and complaints during the second quarter of 2015; for the months April, May and June.

Buallay explained that the figure reflects the active interaction between the Ministry and citizens and residents; in line with the initiatives taken by the Public Relations & Media Directorate of the Ministry.

This also comes in response to directives from HRH the Prime Minister urging the Ministry to respond to citizens’ requests and complaints promptly. The number of applications received at the roads sector during the second quarter of this year amounted to 294 applications and complaints, while the sanitary engineering sector received 91 requests and complaints.

According to Buallay, April registered the highest number of requests; with a total of 165 requests, while both May and June registered 110 requests for each.

As for the response mechanism, the Ministry is keen to respond to any request or complaint in record breaking time; in response to directives from HRH the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister in this regard.

Buallay stated that the number of requests and complaints that the Public Relations & Media Directorate responded to within only 10 days from the date of reception, or less, amounted to 148 requests and complaints out of the total number of requests, with an average of 6 requests per day.

Most requests reached the Ministry via the phone (177 requests/complaints), then came newspapers with 95 requests/complaints, the radio (11 requests/complaints), Twitter (40 requests/complaints), personal visits (9 requests/complaints), Instagram (6 requests), requests transferred from other directorates (22 requests), Tawasol (21 requests) and the mail box (4 requests).

According to Buallay, the 3 repeated requests in the roads sector are pavements and roads maintenance requests, roads revamp and expansion requests and new roads pavement requests.

As for the sanitary engineering sector, most requests centered around the construction and upgrade of sewerage networks, the construction of storm water drains and connecting houses to the sewerage networks.