A total of 2,224 complaints, proposals and inquiries were handled by the Southern Municipality during 2025 which the authority hopes acknowledges its commitment to engaging with citizens and residents and responding promptly to their concerns.
The figures were revealed yesterday during a meeting of the Southern Municipal Council, where officials highlighted the municipality’s performance in dealing with public feedback through the National Suggestions and Complaints System (Tawasul) and other communication channels.
According to the municipality, 1,913 complaints, 44 proposals and 311 inquiries were received and processed through Tawasul between January and December 2025. All were addressed and the necessary actions taken within the time frame specified under the service level agreement.
Southern Municipality director-general engineer Isa Abdulrahman Al Buainain stressed that listening to the public remains a top priority. “The municipality is keen to carefully consider all observations, complaints and proposals received from citizens, whether through the Tawasul platform, local newspapers or social media,” said Mr Al Buainain.
“A dedicated team is tasked with referring these cases to the relevant departments to conduct site inspections and take the required measures in line with municipal laws and regulations.”
He explained that the specialised team follows up on each case until it is resolved, with complainants or proposal submitters being informed of the steps taken.
“Inquiries are answered immediately through the Tawasul system, while proposals are referred to the competent departments for study,” he said. “Those found feasible, in accordance with regulations and available resources, are included in future action plans.”
In addition to submissions received through Tawasul, the municipality also dealt with 36 complaints submitted through other channels during 2025. These included 13 complaints published in local newspapers, 16 received through personal visits to the municipality, six via telephone calls and one monitored through social media.
Mr Al Buainain said the municipality has been actively working to modernise its communication tools and improve response times. As part of these efforts, a unified WhatsApp communication line was launched last year under the number 17986000.
“This unified WhatsApp line connects all concerned departments within the municipality through a single number, helping to speed up the completion of transactions and the resolution of complaints in the shortest possible time,” he said.
He added that the same number is also used to receive calls from visitors, with the reception section directing them to the relevant departments.
“The reception team follows up with citizens on the progress of their requests and informs them of any updates or additional documents required to complete their transactions,” Mr Al Buainain said.
He called on citizens and residents to continue using Tawasul and other official communication channels to submit their feedback.
“We are committed to providing better services, understanding the needs of the community and completing transactions as quickly as possible, in line with established procedures and regulations,” he said.
Southern Municipal Council members welcomed the update, noting that effective communication between municipalities and the public plays a vital role in improving services and addressing community needs.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))