68pc satisfied with Charikar municipal services: IWA

KABUL, Herat City, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Bamyan City, Mahmud Raqi, Kunduz City, Kabul and Gardez.

The level of public satisfaction with municipal services was assessed in a recent survey by the Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA), which interviewed more than 4,000 people aged above 18 years old.

IWA CEO Sayed Ikram Afzali announced the results of the survey at a press conference here in Kabul on Saturday. Public satisfaction with the Charikar Municipality was put at 68 percent.

Similarly, 64 percent of respondents voiced their satisfaction with the performance of the Herat Municipality and 64 percent with Mazar-i-Sharif, he said. 

People’s contentment with the Jalalabad Municipality stood at 59 percent, 55 percent with Bamyan, 54 percent with Mahmud Raqi, 50 percent with Kunduz, 47 percent with Kabul and 40 percent with Gardez.

In the top three provinces, the level of people’s satisfaction was high with services such as control and standardisation of construction of buildings, bus terminals, solid-waste management, urban health and hygiene, access to information and canalisation.

However, residents of the cities wanted improvement in governance in delivery of urban services, he said, adding: “They say people’s suggestions should be heeded in implementation of different programmes.”

He said public satisfaction with the Kabul Municipality had risen to 48 percent from 34 percent in last solar year.

Residents of 2nd, 4th and 11th municipal districts were satisfied with the municipality. But people of 21st, 18^th and 22nd municipal districts expressed dissatisfaction with municipal services.

Afzal added Kabul inhabitants also demanded greater participation in municipality’s programmes.

IWA’s main suggestions to municipalities include: Taking decisions and preparing urban plans at people’s requests, incorporating citizen demands on priority schemes and enhancing women’s role.

sns/mud