Home Affairs minister: Flemings must always be able to contact government in person or by phone

Anyone wishing to contact the Flemish administration must once again be able to do so at a physical counter or by telephone, stated Flemish minister for Home Affairs Hilde Crevits. The Covid-19 crisis has given a boost to digitalisation, but people who are not keeping up with this trend must, in her view, be able to access government services in person.

Research shows that 40 per cent of Belgians are digitally vulnerable. “We have a shared responsibility to ensure that these people are not left behind,” said minister Crevits. “Through the Flemish Service Charter, we guarantee citizens the opportunity to access personal services involving direct contact with a government department.”

This means that citizens are entitled at all times to in-person services from the Flemish government. In practical terms, they must always be able to have accessible, personal contact with staff, either via physical counters or other offline alternatives such as a telephone call or an appointment at an office. The charter also sets out the ambition to proactively seek out and support hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups, so that they too can have full access to public services.

According to Crevits, it is positive that a wave of digitalisation has been set in motion. “But digital services must not replace local, personal service. There are people who cannot keep up or who find digital applications frustrating and would rather visit an office for a face-to-face explanation.”

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Earlier this year, minister Crevits also introduced a measure to limit remote working among civil servants in the Flemish government. She issued a clear directive: every Flemish civil servant must spend at least half of their working days in the office each month. The measure is intended to improve “social cohesion within teams” and “connections with colleagues and the employer”.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister for Home Affairs Hilde Crevits © BELGA PHOTO ZENO DRUYTS}