Government may ban all its employees from using smartphones and tablets, such as iPhones, iPads, and BlackBerry devices, during working hours after receiving complaints from the public, a source in the Department of Civil Status in Riyadh told Saudi Gazette recently. The source, requesting anonymity, said the directors-general of three ministries have sent letters to their superiors requesting that they “look into the matter”. The three ministries oversee departments with “direct contact with service-seekers every day”, said the source. “Over the last six months there have been several verbal complaints from the public about the widespread use of these devices. We, in the Department of Civil Status, have noticed this increasing trend. We have submitted a letter to the Ministry of Interior to look into the matter and to see whether a circular can be issued to cover the employees of all the ministries,” the source said. The source said the matter would eventually have to be evaluated by the Committee of Experts which falls under the Council of Ministers. “It should take the form of an overarching directive covering all ministries and public agencies,” he added. Two deputy ministers in the ministries of commerce and municipalities voiced similar concerns. They both admitted that there was a problem and that there should be a national solution. There are currently no restrictions on public employees using smartphones and tablets. It is quite common to find government employees at numerous service-based government agencies answering their mobiles and, in many cases, leaving the office to answer personal calls. Service-seekers have no recourse but to bite the bullet. According to the Public Statistics Department, there were 618,000 civil government employees at the end of 2010. This number is expected to rise to more than 725,000 at the end of 2011. __
