Kabul's New Citizen Information Center: One Step Forward to Improve Transparency and Accountability

The CIC is a centrally located physical and electronic access point for interacting with the Municipality, providing citizens with a "one stop shop" for inquiries, requests for city service delivery, guidance on regulations, and suggestions and complaints. More than a quarter of Afghanistan's population resides in Kabul and relies on the Kabul Municipality for the provision of basic city services. The Municipality has daily interaction with citizens, including shopkeepers and small business owners who need to renew their business licenses, and citizens who want to expand their houses, pay their tax, or obtain a work permit. The CIC aims to improve the delivery of services to the public by providing a streamlined and efficient process for interacting with the Municipality. The CIC's ICT system features specialized locally designed software to track citizen concerns and ensure they are addressed by the appropriate municipal department. This "work order system" reduces the processing time for most paperwork from one week to an average of two days. The CIC is staffed with newly trained Municipal employees who have received training in public relations, conflict resolution, and communication with clients. The opening of the CIC is expected to minimize confusion, save time, and reduce costs for citizens interacting with the Municipality. It should also increase public satisfaction with the Municipal government. The CIC is part of a series of improvements implemented by KCI in partnership with the KM to help create a more transparent and accountable Municipality for Kabul's citizens. The CIC's impact is expected to be significant, particularly for the large number of clients who previously faced difficulties interacting with the Municipality due to a shortage of professional staff and a lack of clarity about the proper department to address their concerns. With the CIC, citizens can now make only one stop at the Kabul Municipality to access a range of services, making it easier and more efficient for them to access the services they need.