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The Catalan Ombudsman condemns the negligence and delays of the Public Administration procedures
The Síndic de Greuges (Catalan Ombudsman), Rafael Ribó, has claimed the Public Administration to answer fully, nimbly and efficiently to the citizens' requests as well as to offer a better service to people.
The Catalan Ombudsman 2007 Yearbook, presented to the Catalan Parliament, confirms that the Public Administration delays excessively in solving situations of rights' infringements.
That lack of nimbleness and the failure of the Administration to comply with the established deadlines are evident not only by the reply given to the Ombudsman when dealing with the citizens' queries and complaints but also for the everyday relation between Administration and citizens.
The degree of public confusion in the face of some procedures makes it also evident. Therefore, the requirement of filing a document that is already in the Administration's possession should be done away with. On the other hand, the replies should be clear and complete. There are some particular examples of complaints about administrative proceedings, stem from delays or inactivity, that show there are social services at stake.The excessive length of the procedures involves not only breaking the Administration's duty to solve the cases within a established deadline, but also a delay to access to welfare benefits.
