2015-05-06Staff Report 2 Government has applauded New Era for availing a weekly platform for its ministries, agencies and offices to provide answers to issues raised by the public in the media. New Era availed a weekly page, published every Tuesday, to allow government to provide short answers to issues raised by the public in the media. The move is aimed at improving accountability on the part of government and to ensure that there is a regular direct communication link between leaders and those that they lead. The newspaper’s management said availing this platform was its answer to the clarion call by government, and notably President Hage Geingob, for all Namibians to help improve accountability and service delivery in the public service sector. Information and Communication Technology Minister Tjekero Tweya, during a parliamentary session last week, urged government offices, ministries and agencies to make full use of this free platform.Tweya paused to thank New Era for providing space, saying this will enhance communication between government and its citizens. “The ministry would like to extend the word of thanks and commend New Era for availing the space to the government for informing and educating the public on government service delivery,” he said, in his short ministerial statement. “A section for government feedback/responses will appear in New Era every Tuesday and I am proud to announce that the first edition was published this past Tuesday, 28 April 2015,” the minister said. “The ministry has noted that some of the government programmes and projects are not known to the public, as they are not well publicised.” Tweya said his ministry has noted a number of questions and complaints from the public directed to different government ministries on government services, but there was no all-in-one platform to provide answers to such queries. “Such questions and complaints require prompt responses in order to provide timeously and factual information and correct negative perceptions that might have been created about government in order to avoid the public confusion on various issues,” the former trade and industry deputy minister said. “The government will therefore through this platform ensure that correct and factual information is timeously provided to the public through the New Era newspaper on a weekly basis.” 2015-05-06Staff Report 2
