Launch of the Quality Service Charters at the Licensing and Testing Department / Quality Service Charter fid-Dipartiment tal-Licenzjar u l-Ittestjar

"Id-Dipartiment tal-Licenzjar u l-Ittestjar jara madwar 300,000 klijent fis-sena u dan ifisser li madwar 1,200 klijent izuru d-Dipartiment kuljum. F'Ottubru, id-Dipartiment mistenni jintroduci il-Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (VRT) u aktar tard din is-sena ser jinbidel ukoll il-format ta' kif isir it-test tal-licenzja." Dan qalu l-On.Censu Galea, Ministru ghat-Trasport u l-Komunikazzjoni waqt il-prezentazzjoni tal-Quality Service Charter mid-Dipartiment tal-Licenzjar u l-Ittestjar.

Fid-diskors tieghu, il-Ministru Galea qal li "id-Dipartiment, li twaqqaf fl-1993 huwa responsabbli ghat-tahrig, l-ittestjar u ghall-ghoti tal-licenzji lis-sewwieqa lokali kollha, kif ukoll jiehu hsieb jirregistra, jittestja u jaghti l-licenzja lill-vetturi kollha. Wara process ta' refurbishment, introducejna numru ta' mizuri u proceduri sabiex nghinu lill-klijenti isiru izjed familjari max-xoghol li jitwettaq f'dan id-Dipartiment. Ghal dan il-ghan hsibna wkoll sabiex nippubblikaw manwal li jispjega b'mod car lill-pubbliku dawn il-mizuri u l-proceduri."

Huwa hu jitkellem dwar l-izviluppi l-godda li saru fid-Dipartiment, l-On.Galea qal li "wiehed mill-izviluppi ewlenin li saru kienet il-procedura ta' kif ikunu trasferiti l-vetturi minn sid ghall-iehor. Qabel, dan il-process kien isir minn erba' ufficjali. Issa, kollox qed isir minn ufficjal wiehed u b'hekk it-tlett ufficjali l-ohra jistghu jiehdu hsieb trasferimenti ohra. Dan l-izvilupp huwa parti mill-Quality Service Charter li qed ikun imniedi llum."

Meta tkellem dwar is-servizzi li joffri d-Dipartiment, l-On. Galea, qal li "in-numru ta' counters zdied minn 28 ghal 45, il-proceduri kollha li ghandhom x'jaqsmu mal-icenzji tas-sewqan bdew isiru kollha minn sala wahda, u gie introdott il-kuncett ta' one-shop-stop service sabiex jonqsu l-kjuwijiet.

Barra minhekk, tnehhew id-drittijiet li kienu jithallsu ghal certi servizzi billi kienu nkluzi fit-taxxa tar-registrazzjoni u s-sezzjonijiet tar-Registry, l-Accounts u l-Cash Office gew ikkompjuterizzati. Facilitajiet ohra jinkludu t-tigdid tal-licenzji li jintbaghtu bil-posta, fi zmien tlett ijiem, it-trasferiment ta' vetturi minn sid ghall-iehor jista' jsir bil-posta, giet ipprovduta waiting room ghal dawk li jkunu se jaghmlu t-test tas-sewqan, il-bejgh tal-Highway Code mid-Dipartiment u bdew l-ghoti ta' licenzji tas-sewqan lill-persuni b'passaport barrani taht certi kundizzjonijiet."

Ghal prezentazzjoni attenda wkoll l-On.Austin Gatt, Ministru tal-Gustizzja u Gvern Lokali. Fid-diskors tieghu, Dr Gatt qal li "dan il-Quality ServiceCharter li qed jigi addottat mid-Dipartiment tal-Licenzjar u l-Ittestjar huwa parti mill-impenn minn naha tas-Servizz Pubbliku sabiex jaghti l-ahjar servizz lil dawk kollha li jinqdew minn hawnhekk. Fil-fatt, permezz ta' dan ic-Charter, id-Dipartiment qed jiehu r-responsabbilt'? li jorbot lilu nnifsu b'livell ta' efficjenza sabiex il-klijenti tieghu jinqdew bl-aktar mod effettiv possibbli."

Waqt il-prezentazzjoni, attendew ukoll is-sur Joseph R. Grima, Segretarju Permanenti fl-Ufficcju tal-Prim Ministru u s-sur Anthony Mifsud, Direttur Generali fl-Ufficcju tal-Prim Ministru.

Launch of the Quality Service Charters at the Licensing and Testing Department

"The Licensing and Testing Department handles approximately 300,000 clients a year which means an average of 1,200 clients daily. In October, the Department will also be introducing the Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (VRT) and later this year the licensing test will be given a different format." This was announced today by the Hon. Censu Galea, Minister for Transport and Communications, during the launch of the Quality Service Charter at the Licensing and Testing Department.

In his address to the media, Mr Galea stated that the Department, which was set up in 1993, is responsible for the training, testing and licensing of local drivers and the registering, testing and licensing of all motor vehicles. After a complete refurbishment process, the Department started introducing a number of measures and procedures in order to help the clients become more familiar with the functions of the Department. In this regard, a manual was published in which all these measures and procedures were clearly explained to the public.

Speaking about new developments within the Department, Mr Galea stated that "one of the major developments was the procedure of transfer of vehicles from one owner to another. Before, this process used to go through four officials. Now, only one official is handling such cases and therefore, the other three officials are attending to other vehicle transfers. This development forms an integral part of the Quality Service Charter being launched today."

Speaking about the services offered by the Department, Mr Censu Galea, said that "the number of counters has increased from 28 to 45, all licensing procedures are now being processed from one hall, licences are issued on the spot and the concept of a one-shop-stop service has been introduced in order to drastically reduce queues. Besides this, all payments have been included under one registration fee, and the registry, accounts and cash office are being run through a compter system. Other facilities include the renewal, within three working days, of licences sent by post, the possibility of effecting the transfer of ownership of a car by post, the setting up of a waiting room for those attending the driving test, the sale of the Highway Code from the Department and the issue of driving licences to foreigners underspecific conditions."

Also attending the presentation was the Hon Austin Gatt, Minister of Justice and Local Government. In his address, Dr Gatt stated that "this Quality Service Charter adopted by the Licensing and Testing Department goes in line with the Public Service's committment to give its best possible service to its customers. In fact, through this Charter, the Department is committing itself to enhance its efficiency in order to serve the large amount of customers in a most effective way."

Present at the launch of the Quality Service Charter were Mr Joseph R.Grima, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and Mr Anthony Mifsud, Director General in the Office of the Prime Minister.