The Minister of Information and Communications Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi has described public satisfaction as the most important criterion for assessing the effectiveness of the processes and systems established to monitor the quality of the communications network.
In a meeting to review the performance of the ICT Ministry’s
Communications Regulatory Authority on Thursday, he also stressed facilitating
public access to regulatory services and enable direct communication between
citizens and the regulatory system.
“When designing and developing monitoring systems, it must be
clear what role public opinion plays, the minister said, referring to the
importance of incorporating public feedback into assessments of the quality of
communications services.
“The more directly we can access the public’s judgement and
assessment, the more accurately and comprehensively the network’s quality
indicators can be evaluated.”
Also emphasizing that people must be placed at the center of
the design of regulatory processes and monitoring systems, Hashemi stated, “The
complexity of systems and difficulties in accessing them discourage people from
using these tools.”
Therefore, he added, “we must assess regulatory services and
processes from the perspective of the public as recipients of communications
and information technology services.”
The ICT Minister reiterated that paying attention to public
views and feedback is not a matter of choice, but a necessity.
“Citizens should be able to communicate with the Ministry of
ICT through a single system and one-stop portal, and follow up on the services
they require or the complaints they wish to lodge through a clearly defined
channel.”
Hashemi noted that the supervisory and regulatory structure
should serve as a reliable point of recourse and follow-up for the public,
enabling citizens to pursue their concerns and demands in the field of ICT in a
transparent and effective manner.
“In line with the global approach to fifth-generation
regulation, the Communications Regulatory Authority should, alongside its obligations
in the communications sector, also assume responsibility for regulating the
field of information technology,” he said.