At the fifth Government Service Quality Awards ceremony today, Premier Jiang Yi-huah encouraged the agencies honored at the ceremony to follow up on their success by continuing to improve their services to citizens.
"It is not easy to win the public's support or touch people's hearts, since media reports on the shortcomings or wrongdoing of any government agency or civil servant immediately damage the entire government's image," Jiang said. "Nevertheless, there are numerous hardworking civil servants in many government departments who have striven to make innovative improvements to public services and won citizens' affirmation. These awards were created to salute these public servants, who have quietly and diligently contributed to the people's well-being."
Jiang also urged agencies which were not recognized today to stay the course of reform and show that the government is dedicated and capable.
With respect to the awards criteria, the premier said, "Aside from administrative performance, innovation and convenience are also key parameters for evaluating government services. Innovation should be the core value of all businesses and government agencies, because only ongoing creativity can lead to better services and make citizens' lives more convenient. If innovative measures put the public's convenience first, government services can surely touch people's hearts."
The Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) said that a record-high of 173 central and local government agencies were recommended for the awards this year, and after careful review and on-site inspection, 30 agencies ultimately won awards. "This shows that both central and local agencies are putting more emphasis on service improvement," the RDEC stated.
Vice President Wu Den-yih, who also delivered an address at today's ceremony, presented service planning awards to nine agencies, while the premier presented front-line service awards to 21 agencies.