$10 000 Phone Bill

If you are calling a Government department but unable to speak to someone, there will be a new call centre to pick up the slack.

Called the Citizen Services Contact Centre (CSCC), it will officially be launched on January 23.

This new service will cost taxpayers just over $10 000 a month.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight made the announcement yesterday during a post-Cabinet briefing at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ offices in Wildey, St Michael.

“We hear the concerns that citizens speak to on the call-in programmes and in other fora about their dissatisfaction with the level of delivery of Government services.

“Therefore, over 2023, the Government has been bringing together ministers, permanent secretaries and other officers almost monthly to discuss how we can improve, and how can we rise to the challenge and make sure we have a Government that is fit for purpose for delivery for our citizens,” Munro-Knight said.

Although they intend to answer all calls made, provision is being made for representatives to reach out to individuals who hung up because they were waiting too long.

“You are going to be guaranteed because we are working for a 100 per cent call-answer. You will be able to speak to a Barbadian agent who will answer the phone and respond to you.

“Even if you have to wait a minute for a call, you can also have the option of saying you want to have a ‘call back’. Somebody will call you back if you are waiting too long, so that’s how serious we are in relation to making sure this works,” she added.

The CSCC, which will be run by Trident Processing Services, can be reached at 573-7373 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

About 50 to 60 individuals will be employed.

Government also plans to roll out an email address and a WhatsApp number where the concerns or recommendations can be made. From January 24, people may email messagegovt@barbados.gov.bb, or send WhatsApp messages to 266-4242.

In response to queries from reporters, Munro-Knight said the company secured its six-month contract after placing a bid as part of the Government’s procurement process.

“We solicited persons to bid for the service and Trident was selected, so the logistics and where they will be employed is up to the service provider,” she said.

The minister made it clear this latest initiative was not a replacement for existing Government contact centres.

She said they also intended to set timelines for Government agencies to respond to complex queries from the public. (TG)

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