CR&PO Commits to Improving Customer Service
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| Two staff members of the Civil Registry & Passport Office are photographed in front of the department’s new information centre. (Photo by GIS) |
TORTOLA, B.V.I-The Civil Registry & Passport Office is taking steps to improve customer service. Registrar-General Mrs. Stephanie Benn said improvements have been made at the department’s two Tortola locations and more are planned in the future.
“The Governor has mandated that we improve our service delivery as part of the public service reform initiative,” Mrs. Benn said. “It will take some time, but we are working on it. I am asking for the public’s cooperation as we strive to serve you better.”
One component of the Civil Registry & Passport Office’s improvement programme is to provide more information to the public. Information centres, which consist of brochures, application forms, and a video programme, have been established in the waiting areas of both the Passport Office and the Civil Registry. In addition, the department has introduced a semi-annual newsletter and has begun a staff training programme.
Brochures, which are also available online at www.dgo.gov.vg, have been developed on topics including BVI visas and passports; getting married; registering a birth; or dealing with the death of a loved one. Another brochure deals with nationality and belonger status. “Nationality and belonger status is a very sensitive area, and one which we need to educate the public more,” Mrs. Benn said.
An initiative to provide services on Virgin Gorda one day per week has been well-received since it was re-introduced last November, the Registrar-General said.
Earlier this year the CR&PO hired a bilingual staff member, making it easier for Spanish-speaking residents to obtain the services of the department. The department also began accepting credit and debit card payments at the Passport Office, introduced one-stop shops, and bought new staff uniforms. ~~Adz:Right~~
The Registrar-General said future plans include the publication of Spanish-language forms and brochures and the automation of certain procedures.
The Civil Registry & Passport Office is the department responsible for issuing visas and passports, processing applications for naturalisation, and registering births, death and marriages in the Territory, among other things. The Civil Registry is located on Wickham’s Cay I, upstairs Burhym Electric. The Passport Office is located in the Central Administration Complex.
You may contact the CR&PO at telephone 494-3701 ext. 3035/6.
British Virgin Islands News