The Foundation for the Defense of Citizens Against State Abuse (FACIAS) has revealed a preliminary report on how long citizens wait to get public information from state institutions' information offices by phone. The outcomes are disastrous: the institutions could not be reached despite dozens of phone calls.
One of the fundamental principles of relations between individuals and public authorities is the right of access to information of public interest. At the same time, it is frequently broken or ignored.
Obtaining information through a phone call often becomes an impossible task for citizens who are unable to physically inquire. This happens despite the fact that state institutions are required by law to make phone numbers available to the public so that citizens can obtain information of public interest straight away.
FACIAS officials, as part of the project that monitors waiting times for phone calls to state institutions, firstly contacted institutions within the Capital where, with few exceptions, telephone communication was often impossible.
Even after dozens of calls, Sector 6 City Hall, Sector 2 Court, Sector 4 Court, and DGITL Sector 6 could not be reached. While the National Agency for Fiscal Administration's call center answers promptly, the telephone connection for local directorates such as Sector 1 ANAF, Sector 2 ANAF, or Sector 4 ANAF could not be established at all, despite multiple calls made during business hours.
"Citizens cannot acquire information from Sector 2 City Hall or DGITL Sector 2 immediately, however there is a framework established according to which citizens can leave messages and will be contacted eventually by the institutions. While the message left at Sector 2 City Hall's call center on March 4 went unnoticed until today, the message left at DGITL Sector 2 received a reply less than two hours after it was sent. We will request institutions' officials to take action if we identify severe flaws." FACIAS project manager stated.
The FACIAS' project will be in effect until the end of the year, and its results will be published and communicated to the appropriate authorities.
Through its activity, the Foundation for the Defense of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) strives to ensure transparency in the operation of state institutions as a principle of democracy and rule of law, as well as to defend citizens' rights.