When the Greek government launched a new electronic platform to manage citizens’ relations with government agencies, nobody was expecting it to get to breaking point within a few months.
But according to official data issued by the Ministry of State which undertook the project, more than 5,500 complaints have been submitted to the website, aptly named Kathimerinotita, to the extent that it is facing its first major stress test.
The website was set up in February as a platform of engagement between citizens and government. The idea was for people to communicate their daily problems with public services, directly to the authorities and the responsible agencies.
The platform has been since flooded with complaints by citizens exhasperated by bureaucracy, inefficiency, and an overall dysfunctional public sector.
Among the most common, as well as urgent complaints lodged, is people requesting tax offices to delete medical bills issued by public hospitals to uninsured people, a matter which was resolved with an amendment on the recent health care bill, approved by Greek parliament.
