OMUTHIYA: Oshikoto Regional Council chairperson, Samuel Shivute has encouraged regional councillors, heads of departments, and other stakeholders to understand and internalise their customer service charter in order to set standards when dealing with customers.

Shivute made the statement during the official launch of the Oshikoto Regional Council’s customer service charter at Omuthiya on Wednesday.

He emphasised the importance of making the information contained in the charter available to all customers at grassroots level.

Shiviute said as public servants they are required to be open, ethical, responsible, accountable, and dedicated to the public they serve.

‘To achieve such a goal, the regional council with the assistance of the Office of the Prime Minister formulated the customer service charter, which is a guiding document that sets out specific standards of service we promised to deliver to our customers,’ he stated.

The charter explains how they intend to work with customers and operate as a govern
ment body with a mandate to plan and coordinate development.

Shivute also requested the translation of the charter into local languages to ensure better understanding among customers regarding the services they can expect and claim.

Roberto Mwilima, the Deputy Director in the Office of the Prime Minister’s Directorate of Performance Improvement, explained that the customer service charter aligns with the African Charter enforced in July 2016.

Mwilima stated that all offices, ministries, agencies, and regional councils have been directed to develop strategic and annual plans, as well as customer service charters, by the Office of the Prime Minister.

He said the Office of the Prime Minister started engaging with the regional council in 2018. They submitted their first draft in 2020 and the Office of the Prime Minister reviewed their customer service charter in 2023.

‘The customer service charter promotes and endorses quality service and sets out standards of service at all levels, thus enhancing the good i
mage of the public service in the eyes of citizens and inhabitants,’ Mwilima explained.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency