Muscat Municipality Launches six new electronic services at Comex 2014
Mohsen Al-Sheikh : The new services save time and efforts. We are keen on moving to digitalization in all transactions.
- New services : Electronic Authentication, tenancy contracts, leases service, employment services, electronic printing, and suppliers registration .
- GIS services is a new website and consists of interactive maps demonstrates Places of services .
- Muscat Call Center is an active gateway that interacts with all beneficiaries of the global media
By: Ibrahim b. Saeed Al-Hassani
Photos By: Soluiman Al-Khasibi
Muscat Municipality Launched yesterday morning six new electronic services promoting the services of the municipal work in the city under the supervision of HE Eng. Mohsen bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, Chairman of Muscat Municipality with the attendance of a number of officials in the Municipality and the concerned authorities in the fields of IT and communication on the main theater of Comex gallery 2014.
HE Eng. Mohsen bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, Chairman of Muscat Municipality referred that these new services are: electronic certification, leases service, municipal licenses services, employment services, electronic printing services, and suppliers registration service. They are multiple services to be added to the program series and new technology that the Municipality is replete with through its transactions and its website in the Global Information Network (Internet). It also facilitates the procedures and saves time, cost and efforts of various segments of beneficiaries and those dealing with municipal services. The Municipality is keen on applying the national strategy plan that aims at a digital transformation in various dealings and services provided to the public and taking advantage of enabling electronic linkage between government institutions, and promoting electronic technologies and projects
New services
Abullah B. Salem Al Sowae`e, senior specialist in Global Information Network of the Management Systems Information in Muscat Municipality pointed that the Municipality aims at raising the average of achieving advantage of its electronic services, through the plan of transition to the electronic government. In addition, it ensures the integration of these services and exchanging data with organizations and government agencies relevant to stages of accomplishing services taking into account, facilitating the procedures of applying services requests and executing it quickly with the capabilities that the technology provided
Electronic certification ( PKI )
Regarding the details of electronic services that have been launched, Abullah Al Sowae`e pointed that the most important part of it is to achieve integration and exchanging data with relevant organization and authorities which is connecting with the National Center of Electronic Certification (PKI): In order to provide the service of making sure of the identity of the individuals and organizations through the electronic certification characteristic, (PKI) by using the civil affairs cards or the cellular telephone that will enable the benefeciary segment of getting access to the electronic services of Muscat Municipality, then it becomes easy to get services without visiting the Municipality place to make sure of his identity or getting the user name and password.
Renewing tenancy contracts electronically
This service includes providing electronic services in terms of the individual and work sector aiming at enabling the beneficiaries to renew tenancy contracts electronically without going to the Municipality place. The beneficiaries will be able to accomplish their transactions that are relevant to renewing tenancy contracts after paying due charges electronically, following that the contract will be issued electronically. The Municipality was keen, at this stage, to support Sanad offices to carry out services and provide an alternative channel to conclude the transaction according to the beneficiary desire.
the service of renewing tenancy contracts electronically
This service enables renewing municipal licenses electronically after paying the due charges to carry out the transactions. Some conditions of renewing will be checked automatically with no need to attached the identification documents as the effectiveness of the contract and absence of administrative notices that prevents renewing or healthy conditions that require approval and healthy check prior to approving the renewal as the work sector get advantage of this service (shops, commercial and industrial organizations and vehicles) .
Suppliers registration
This service enables registering/renewing suppliers electronically and paying due charges according to the supplier segment. It also enable them to integrate services and data exchange electronically with ministry of industry and trade and Oman chamber of commerce and industry.
Electronic employment service
Khadija Bint Amer Al Humaydiyah, senior specialist in Muscat Municipality, affirmed that the Electronic employment service aims at providing the employment requests via SMSs. This service is characterized by direct electronic linking with the general authority of the labor force register. The electronic confirmation is carried out according to matching the occupancies conditions to the applicant qualifications. Applicants acceptance and refusal is to be made with demonstrating reasons of refusal. The job seekers are beneficiaries of the services. The service becomes available by sending a text message to the number 90888 and with the following format. and (space) job number (space) labor force number .
general service of electronic requests
Khadija Al Humaydiyah indicated that the sixth service which is the general electronic request launched out of studies carried out regarding the most common general requests that in no need of charges. It enables the beneficiaries to provide the requests electronically and transform them to units of the Municipality to study the capability to do that. The applicant can follow up his request status through the electronic page on the website of Muscat Municipality or through Muscat contact center. The service includes as a preliminary phase five services includes: Request a new container, request moving a container, request approving the voluntary acts in terms of cleaning, request cutting or trimming trees outside the home and request speed breaker, taking into account that these six services are available on the electronic website of Muscat Municipality www.mm.gov.om
Geographic maps
Houda Mohamed Al Afifa, head of application and database department in the department of Geographic Information Systems clarified that the Geographic maps service is one of the most important services that the Municipal work relies on. It allows to the beneficiaries using the Geographic information that the interactive map provides to Muscat Municipality which shows service places, roads network, addressing, buildings boarders and lands. The site allows searching for any place, address or street name and its geographical data are up to dated continuously. Moreover, this service allows showing the air images of the Municipality areas.
A center with advanced technologies
Hammoud Al-baloshi, supervisor of Muscat contact center (1111), illustrated that, the center will participate in Comex 2014 where it will review technical development mechanisms, improving the quality of services provision where it is considered a means of communication between Muscat and the public according to the latest communication means aiming at facilitating the streamline of services information to the beneficiaries and facilitating communication with the public and recording their notes on hourly basis as well as its role as an effective system to measure the organizational performance .
Al-baloshi pointed out to that, the center work is based on using the best mechanisms and the practices of high standards related to provision of services, through communication by interactive phone querying about a transaction, knowing the steps and required documents, providing the audio suggestions, to be heard later. Available also in the center are new communication channels via web, chatting rooms, Email, Fax, and voicemail. The phases of reporting are considered transparent and honest. The results of observation and complaints are sent via Fax, SMS Messages, Email or other channels that the beneficiary prefers. At Comex, various technical services provided by Muscat contact center will be reviewed to the public like: Electronic cooperation with the other service providing institutions, and delivery service. The center also provides accurate statistical data and revision of studies, needed searches to leverage the municipality work..
A workshop has been convened yesterday, introducing the center to the public, on the main stage of Comex where Samia Bint Hamad Al-Sa`idya, an employee of the center, introduced the center, its vision, goals, role, services, communication channels, work mechanisms, and spreading awareness of its importance
Preparations and drawings
Mohammad bin Salem Al Bouraky, Vice President of Administrative Affairs in Information Systems Department in Muscat Municipality, pointed that there is an electronic competition on the municipality website www.mm.gov.om , The competition consists of some questions identifying the services of Muscat Municipality, and there will be a daily drawing on the main stage of the exhibit.
there also will be two questionnaires, one for measuring the public satisfaction with the electronic services of Muscat Municipality and the other for the assessing the services of Muscat Contact Center in order to improve and develop the services in the future. Also, A drawing will be held on the last day of Comex for valuable awards to the participants of both questionnaire .
Muscat Municipality is keen on participation in these annual activities to introduce its electronic system, share experience with other institutions, make advantage of the digital experience taking into consideration the accelerating electronic development .
