By our Correspondence
DODOMA, Tanzania, June 11 — Public officials responsible for managing Tanzania’s government feedback platform have been urged to respond promptly to citizens’ complaints, suggestions and inquiries in a move aimed at strengthening accountability and improving public service delivery.
The call was made by Gideon Malebeja, Assistant Director for Human Resources at the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, at the closing of a four-day training programme for coordinators of the government’s e-Mrejesho digital feedback system.
The training, conducted by facilitators from the President’s Office for Public Service Management and Good Governance, brought together officials from the ministry and its affiliated institutions in Dodoma.
Malebeja said the e-Mrejesho platform had become an important tool for enabling citizens to communicate directly with government institutions and provide feedback on public services.
“The purpose of this system is to help the government understand what citizens are saying about public services,” he said. “In the past, obtaining public feedback was not always easy, but this platform now allows people to submit complaints, suggestions, information and even compliments without having to visit government offices.”
He stressed that information submitted through the platform must be handled within the timelines established under public service customer charters to ensure that the system delivers meaningful results.
“Any feedback received through the system must be addressed promptly. When complaints remain unresolved for long periods, the purpose of the platform is undermined. The system was created to ensure that concerns are received and acted upon in a timely manner,” he said.
The government has increasingly promoted digital platforms as part of broader efforts to improve transparency, responsiveness and citizen engagement across public institutions.
Malebeja also encouraged ministries and public agencies to maintain multiple channels for receiving public feedback, including customer service desks and suggestion boxes, to ensure that citizens who are unable to access digital services are not excluded.
“While digital platforms are important, institutions must also provide alternative mechanisms for citizens who may prefer written submissions or face-to-face engagement,” he said.
Participants in the training represented several institutions under the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, including the , , , and the .
Trainers from the President’s Office urged participants to become ambassadors for the effective use of the e-Mrejesho platform by ensuring that information entered into the system is accurate, complete and handled in accordance with principles of fairness, transparency and confidentiality.
The training focused on strengthening participants’ capacity to manage public feedback, oversee digital complaint-resolution processes and use citizen input to improve the quality of services provided by public institutions.
