Efficiency and courtesy

Recently a reader reported that the service he was provided at the Department of Immigration and Emigration was efficient and speedy. The Department of Immigration and Emigration, especially the Passport Office, has been working quite efficiently for some years now.

The problems they faced were the dingy, ill-lit premises, even after they moved to Bambalapitiya, which was an obstruction to providing an orderly service. The Borella premises is far superior in these respects and the efficiency of the service is readily ‘seen’.

There are at least a couple of other state/national institutions that meet this criteria. The National Savings Bank has provided a very efficient and courteous service for many years. I had regular dealings with the NSB for some months in 1972 and the service even then was good.

Another recent addition to the list is the office of the Commissioner of Motor Traffic in Maligawatte. My revenue licence for 2007/08 was issued in less than two minutes and I did not even have to get out of my car. So it should be possible for other departments to match these.

At the other end of the spectrum is the bank branch at the new Inland Revenue Department office at Jawatte Road. Here the teller flings the paying-in-slip back on to the counter.

He quite often misses the target and has to fling it again. It would be great if the paying-in-slips were made out of the same material as cheques issued by one of our VIPs which bounce.

I realise that the teller must find it distasteful to collect money from ordinary mortals, who are compelled to pay taxes even from the pittance they get in their retirement, while so many make illegal millions and do not pay any taxes on their ill-gotten gains and some even get refunds on fictitious VAT payments. But, the teller should find a better way of displaying his displeasure.

Maybe this is because the Inland Revenue Department is itself at the bottom of the pile for efficiency and speed of service.

PAUL FERNANDO