President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the Citizens Complaints Bureau will be operational by 26 July, marking a significant step toward enhancing government accountability and citizen services in the Maldives.
The President made this announcement during his appearance on PSM News' “Nation Chat: With the President", where he emphasised that establishing robust mechanisms for addressing public grievances remains a top priority for his administration.
President Muizzu stressed that his administration is working comprehensively to improve accountability across government institutions. Beyond the Complaints Bureau, he highlighted that enhancing responsiveness government ministries’ front offices and ensuring phones are answered promptly are receiving equal priority. The President described the Citizens Complaints Bureau, which he initially announced in this year’s presidential address, as the most important solution to systemic challenges in government responsiveness.
"We are setting up a special office in the President's Office to attend to complaints within the entire government 24 hours a day. All the administrative work of setting up the office is progressing swiftly. I have appointed a very efficient person to head it,” he explained.
The new bureau will leverage artificial intelligence and digital technology to revolutionise how citizen complaints are processed and resolved. According to the President, complaints submitted through the bureau will be managed through an advanced digital system that utilises AI to efficiently obtain information from relevant authorities and provide swift responses to citizens. A 24-hour call centre will complement these digital services, ensuring that citizens can report concerns at any time.
The bureau will offer multiple channels for complaint submission, accommodating diverse citizen preferences. These channels include traditional letters, email, the Citizens Voice platform, the GEMS messaging platform, telephone, and social media.
President Muizzu explained that the Citizens Compliance Bureau's digital system would be integrated across government agencies to standardise how complaints are managed and responded to. Rather than each agency handling complaints independently, a single compliance management mechanism will govern all citizen grievances throughout the entire government. The bureau will maintain oversight responsibility, monitoring how government agencies respond to complaints and holding them accountable for timely and appropriate action.