The Ombudsman, Mr. Jack Chan, today (20 February) announced the completion of a direct investigation operation into the Government’s arrangements for the recovery, refurbishment and reallocation of public rental housing (“PRH”) flats, and has made 19 major recommendations for improvements to the Housing Department (“HD”) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (“HKHS”).

For the live broadcast of the press conference, please watch the replay on the Office’s YouTube channel.

The current-term Government has been making every effort to increase the PRH supply, and its efforts are delivering tangible results.  In addition, HD and HKHS recover a number of PRH flats each year for various reasons such as tenants purchasing private flats in the market or subsidised sale flats, moving into residential care homes, passing away or voluntarily surrendering their flat for other reasons. In the past five years (note), HD and HKHS have recovered 15,700 and 1,100 PRH flats respectively on average each year.  Efficient recovery and refurbishment of PRH flats is essential to speed up the reallocation of flats, thereby shortening the waiting time for public housing.

Mr. Chan said, “The current-term Government has diligently identified sites and built housing estates to solve the pressing housing problem.  It endeavours to enhance quantity, speed, efficiency and quality, and adopts a proactive and positive attitude in enhancing the sense of happiness of the public. In combating abuse of public housing, the Government has spared no effort and implemented enhancement measures.  Its efforts are delivering tangible results.

“Subsequent to the launch of our direct investigation, HD proactively introduced several enhancement measures to expedite the process of refurbishing recovered flats for reallocation to PRH applicants.  Starting from November 2024, relevant measures have been put into practice in phases.  For instance, HD has set up a mechanism to provide contractors with information about the housing estates where there will be vacant flats in advance so that the contractors can make prior arrangements for the materials and manpower required for refurbishment works.  The Department will also request that contractors give priority to refurbishment of vacant flats accepted by prospective tenants.  It has also revised its Vacant Flat Refurbishment Allowance Scheme to extend the coverage to all vacant units regardless of the age of the property so that those who choose to join the scheme can move in as soon as possible. We consider such efforts of HD laudable.  In our view, HD and HKHS should take further steps forward to make reforms in recovery, refurbishment and reallocation arrangements to achieve a quicker turnover of PRH flats and ensure optimal utilisation of precious public housing resources.”

The Office of The Ombudsman (“the Office”) has made 19 recommendations for improvements to HD and HKHS regarding exploring improvement of workflows to speeding up recovery of PRH flats, improving the procedures for handling items left in PRH flats by previous tenants, enhancing arrangements for refurbishment and reallocation of PRH flats, and reviewing relevant measures. The Office is pleased to learn that HD and HKHS have generally accepted all the Ombudsman’s recommendations for improvement.

The Ombudsman’s major recommendations for improvement to HD are:

• improve the procedures for recovering the flats of deceased singleton tenants and revise the relevant guidelines;

• strengthen staff training on recovery of flats of deceased singleton tenants to enhance staff’s understanding of the revised workflow;

• explore how the procedures for handling cases involving tenants’ failure to vacate and surrender their flat upon expiry of the deadline prescribed in the Notice-to-Quit can be improved;

• maintain close communication with members of the Appeal Panel (Housing) and give due consideration to various proposals for improvement to facilitate the smooth decision-making process of the Appeal Tribunal;

• explore the setting of targets for reallocation arrangements after recovery of PRH flats where feasible;

• enhance the computer system to add functions of data collection, statistics compilation and analysis to improve the efficiency of refurbishment and reallocation of recovered PRH flats; and

• improve communication with tenants and their emergency contact persons, requesting that tenants provide an email address to facilitate communication.

The major recommendations for improvement made to HKHS are:

• make reference to the HD’s procedures for recovering the flats of deceased singleton tenants and revise the relevant guidelines;

• arrange staff training after revising the guidelines on handling the tenancy matters of deceased singleton tenants;

• re-examine the procedures for handling items left in PRH flats by previous tenants;

• to be more proactive and decisive in handling cases of failure to surrender PRH flats;

• explore appropriate revisions of relevant arrangements to shorten the time frame for issuance of refurbishment work orders after recovery of a flat to less than 14 days to enhance efficiency and create a monitoring mechanism;

• re-examine the process of reallocation of recovered flats and explore setting of targets for reallocation arrangements after recovery of PRH flats where feasible;

• improve the computer system for statistical analysis to effectively collate information on refurbishments and reallocations of recovered PRH flats for better efficiency;

• review the workflow and standards of refurbishment works of vacant PRH flats to speed up work progress and shorten the refurbishment period;

• consider introducing a scheme similar to HD’s Vacant Flat Refurbishment Allowance Scheme and study the feasibility;

• consider following HD’s example in issuing a Letter of Assurance to offer PRH accommodation to tenants who surrender their flat due to admission to residential care homes or imprisonment, when they have housing needs in future;

• re-examine the arrangements for tenants’ surrender of their PRH flats after acquiring other forms of subsidised housing; and

• request that tenants and their emergency contact persons provide an email address to facilitate communication.

The full investigation report has been uploaded to the website of the Office of The Ombudsman for public information.

Mirpur Khas: February 20, 2025 – The Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman), Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has formally inaugurated new Regional Office in Mirpur Khas (Sindh).

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, he urged the government officials to redouble their efforts for providing speedy relief to the public. He said that the institution of Wafaqi Mohtasib was receiving an increasing number of complaints as its outreach expanded and new offices have been established in Muzaffarabad (AJ&K) and Gilgit-Baltisan. “Now this office is providing services in 24 cities of the country and we plan to setup some more offices in the far-flung areas during the current year”, he added.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by the local heads of the Federal Government agencies there, apart from civil society members and the media. Speaking on the occasion, the Wafaqi Mohtasib said that the outgoing year 2024 was eventful in the sense that the office received a large number of complaints totaling 226,373, out of which 223,198 have been disposed of satisfactorily, marking an increase of 17 % and 16% in the receipt and disposal over the figures of 2023. He said that more than 93% of the decisions have been implemented. He further added that our Investigating Officers held Khuli Katcheries in far-flung and remote areas to provide administrative relief to the people at their doorsteps. “The Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat is truly the poor man’s court, striving to dispense administrative justice particularly to the marginalized and the downtrodden segments of the society”, he observed.

Later, the Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi also held a meeting with the heads of Federal Government agencies. He called upon the government officials to intensify efforts for prompt redressal of public complaints. Following the meeting, he informally spoke to the journalists and media representatives and highlighted the key initiatives of his office like the Informal Resolution of Disputes (IRD), Inspection Visits, Khuli Katcheries etc. which have been instrumental in providing effective redressal to public complaints. Lauding the role of the media in raising awareness, he said that it is playing a very useful role and urged the media fraternity to continue extending their cooperation regarding projection of this office so that the people of the country may become aware the existence of this forum for seeking free and fast relief to their grievances.

On January 20, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, visited the Gori social housing, met with its residents and learned about their situation.

“People have been living in deplorable conditions in the Gori social housing for years. Although there has been a slight improvement in conditions compared to last year, this does not change the catastrophic picture, similar to which cannot be found anywhere in Georgia.

In addition to the infrastructural and hygienic problems, the situation is also complicated by the fact that a methadone programme service is operating in the housing, where more than 80 families, including over 60 children, live. Residents have been demanding the transfer of the service for many years.

Once again, I call on the authorities and responsible state agencies to pay attention to the people living in the Gori social housing, and to urgently take care of their resettlement in other building, in decent conditions”, – the Public Defender stated.

The Public Defender spoke about the situation in the Gori social housing with the State Representative of Shida Kartli, Levan Kharabadze.

On January 23, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia held a meeting with representatives of ethnic minorities in Georgia, during which the problems facing ethnic minorities and the activities carried out by the Public Defender’s Office were discussed.

The meeting was welcomed by Public Defender Levan Ioseliani, Deputy Public Defender Irine Chikhladze and Coordinator of the Council of Ethnic Minorities Koba Chopliani.

A representative of the Public Defender’s Office, Mariam Orzhonia, discussed the mandate of the Public Defender in the field of ethnic minority rights, and also presented information on the main issues included in the Public Defender’s annual parliamentary report relating to ethnic minorities and the activities carried out by the Office to advocate for the challenges beyond the report.

During the discussion held within the framework of the meeting, the participants spoke about the challenges relating to the protection of rights and integration of ethnic minorities, as well as the issues to be reviewed in the Public Defender’s 2024 parliamentary report.

In 2024, the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Uzbekistan received over 6,000 complaints related to citizens’ economic rights. 9% of these appeals are related to cases of fraud. There has been a significant increase in cases where loans were issued in the name of citizens without their consent by using their personal data. While 110 such complaints were registered in 2023, this figure grew by 42% in 2024.

In 60% of complaints, fraudsters impersonated representatives of the company “Click” or the Central Bank, using citizens’ personal data to secure online loans. In some instances, 5–6 loans were taken out in the name of one individual through various commercial banks.

In response to these complaints, investigators from internal affairs authorities issued directives to commercial banks, stating that the citizens had not utilized the credited funds and should be recognized as civil plaintiffs. The investigators also instructed banks to suspend the accrual and collection of interest on these loans until the perpetrators were identified. According to Article 36 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Uzbekistan, written instructions and orders issued by an investigator on a case under their jurisdiction are legally binding for all enterprises, organizations, officials, and citizens. However, banks continue to demand loan payments from victims of fraud.

The Ombudsman filed five civil lawsuits in the interest of citizens, resulting in the annulment of the loan agreements with the banks. In one case, the funds credited in the citizen’s name were returned to them, along with compensation for moral damages.

The increase in complaints in this area is primarily due to citizens’ carelessness, inadequate information security, and insufficient financial literacy.

One positive development in this area was the introduction by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan of temporary regulations aimed at preventing fraudulent transactions with bank cards during online lending. This regulation is effective from November 1, 2024, to April 1, 2025.

According to the Central Bank, in 2024, fraudulent issuance of online loans caused financial damages amounting to approximately 15 billion UZS across 463 cases.

As technology advances, fraudsters continue to develop new methods of deception. To ensure information security and protect against fraud, the following precautions are strongly recommended:

• Never share your personal information, such as passport details, bank card numbers, or PIN codes with anyone.
• Avoid disclosing personal data on social networks or to unknown individuals.
• Do not share confirmation codes, passwords, or login details for banking applications received via your phone.
• Avoid downloading unfamiliar files, documents, or links received through social networks or email, as they may contain viruses or malicious software.
• Do not respond to calls or video calls from unknown numbers, especially international ones.
• If someone claims to represent a bank or other organization, verify their identity through official channels.

By staying vigilant and cautious, you can protect yourself from fraudsters. Ensuring information security is the personal responsibility of every citizen.

Dili, 28 January 2024 – The Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ), in partnership with USAID/Timor-Leste’s Accountability and Integrity Mechanism (AIM) program, is pleased to share the inspiring work of Judelio da Silva Barros Barreto, the first-place winner of the Essay Competition on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption.

Judelio, 23, is a dedicated student of Informatics Engineering at the Engineering Faculty of Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL). Beyond his academic pursuits, he is deeply passionate about environmental sustainability, civic engagement, and youth empowerment. His active involvement with Timorese Youth for Change (TY4C) and the Laudato Si Timor-Leste Movement reflects his commitment to promoting climate action and social change through creative mediums and volunteerism.

In his award-winning essay, Judelio explores the critical intersection of good governance and the fight against corruption in Timor-Leste. He highlights the importance of accountability, transparency, and youth involvement in creating sustainable governance systems. Through compelling arguments, his essay underscores how ethical leadership and civic engagement are essential to combatting corruption and fostering a brighter future for the nation.

Judelio’s broader advocacy also includes promoting digital security, environmental protection, and youth-driven initiatives that champion human rights and good governance. As an official member of the RYLA Batch of 2024, he is committed to fostering positive change and advancing regional and international cooperation.

On 30 January 2025, the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman), Feruza Eshmatova, held another reception of citizens. During the reception, citizens raised issues related to the protection of the rights of medical workers, housing matters, alimony collection, the rights of convicted individuals, banking and credit disputes, socio-economic and other rights, as well as judicial-investigative and civil law disputes.

It should be noted that, in accordance with the Law “On the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman)”, the Ombudsman is not vested with the authority to conduct investigations or investigative actions. Furthermore, under Article 19 of this Law, the Ombudsman does not consider appeals that fall under the jurisdiction of the court, nor complaints from individuals regarding the actions (or inaction) of other private individuals that infringe upon their rights, freedoms, and lawful interests.

During the reception, the Ombudsman provided legal clarifications on several appeals, while those falling within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction were accepted for further review. Appeals requiring on-site examination were forwarded to the Ombudsman’s regional representatives in the respective territories.

Citizens are reminded that they may also contact the Ombudsman’s regional representatives directly or submit electronic appeals through the official website ombudsman.uz and the Ombudsman’s mobile application.

On January 23, 2025, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, held the 38^th meeting of the Consultative Council for Monitoring the Promotion, Protection and Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In his welcome speech, the Public Defender spoke about the rights situation of persons with disabilities in the country and focused on the direction of social protection. Deputy Public Defender Irine Chikhladze introduced the agenda of the meeting to the attendees and facilitated the meeting.

The measures implemented within the framework of monitoring the promotion, protection and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and future plans were presented at the meeting; in addition, the issues of cooperation between the blind interpreters and notaries, access to justice for persons with disabilities, involvement in decision-making at various levels and electoral processes, as well as the activities of the national advisory councils working on issues of persons with disabilities and their effectiveness, possibilities of increasing the social package for persons with disabilities and shortcomings of the existing equalization mechanisms were also discussed at the meeting.

The meeting of the Consultative Council was held within the framework of the EU-funded project – Support to the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia.

On 30 January, an extended meeting of the Coordination Council of the Pension and Social Insurance Fund in the Republic of Tatarstan and the Council under the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan on improving the quality of life of citizens was held. The meeting summed up the results of work for 2024 and discussed the tasks for 2025.

The Tatarstan branch of the Pension and Social Insurance Fund remains one of the largest in the Volga Federal District, serving more than 1.1 million pensioners, 331 thousand beneficiaries and over 240 thousand children – recipients of social benefits.

Particular attention was paid to the issues of indexation of payments. From February 1, 2024, the amount of maternity capital increased by 7.4% and amounted to 630 thousand rubles for the first child and 833 thousand for the second. In 2025, a further increase of 9.5% is expected.

In 2025, insurance pensions for both working and non-working citizens were indexed by 7.3%, and their average size was 24,262 rubles. An additional 2.2% indexation is expected. Particular attention is paid to veterans of the Great Patriotic War, who are provided with one-time payments of 80 thousand rubles, and home front workers and residents of besieged Leningrad will receive 55 thousand rubles each.

At the end of the meeting, I was given a great honor – I received an award for special merits in the development of the Union of Pensioners of Russia. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for such high recognition!

• ACRC has fully opened a government-wide integrated call center system based on private cloud technology for 17 government ministries
• Utilizing AI for real-time analysis of counseling content provides customized advice to counselors, offering swift and accurate counseling services to citizens

A service that integrates the civil complaint call center systems of 17 government ministries is officially launching to provide citizens with quicker and more accurate government civil complaint guidance services.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) has completed the construction of the government-wide integrated call center system and opened it today.

This construction project was conducted using private resource-sharing (cloud) technology and artificial intelligence to enable civil complainants to receive swift and accurate counseling services regarding government civil complaints.

The Commission, in collaboration with 17 institutions, completed this two-year project that began in 2023 and starts the integrated service of the call center systems for the 17 government ministries this December.

* (17 Integrating Institutions): Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Personnel Management, Ministry of Veterans Affairs, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Korea National Statistical Office

Previously, each government ministry established and operated its own call center system, which raised issues of budget waste, long waiting times for calls, and inconveniences such as having to re-explain consultation content.

In contrast, the government-wide integrated call center system moved away from the previously independent server operation approach of each institution and utilized private resource-sharing (cloud) technology for the first time in government call centers to address these issues.

In the past, when citizens needed to re-consult with advisors from different institutions, they had to re-explain their issues. However, with the shared use of the integrated system, data sharing, such as consultation content between institutions, becomes possible, greatly enhancing accessibility and convenience for citizens.

Furthermore, by introducing the “AI Advisor”* feature, citizens can receive faster and more accurate guidance services.

* This AI technology analyzes the voice of the citizen and advisor in real-time to recommend appropriate responses and consultation knowledge to the advisor.

For this project, 22,875 standard consultation cases from 17 institutions were structured into data. During a phone consultation, the system automatically provides advisors with tailored cases that correspond to the intentions of the questioner, enabling advisors to conduct consultations more easily and conveniently.

Additionally, compared to the previous approach where 17 ministries separately built and operated systems, shared use of the integrated system is expected to result in a budget savings of 84.6 billion KRW.

* Individual system construction à integration and shared use of unified systems resulted in total savings of 84.2 billion KRW

* Annual economic benefits including reduced consultation time through integrated operation and AI introduction amount to 4 billion KRW

At the opening ceremony, attended by over 40 people including Ryu Chul-whan of the ACRC, officials from 17 institutions, the Korea Intelligent Information Society Agency, and the young reporters of the Commission, attendees also visited consultation rooms of Citizen Call 110 and the Meteorological Administration to observe the consultation sites and encourage the advisors.

ACRC chairperson Ryu Chul-whan expressed gratitude to everyone involved in dismantling the barriers between ministries and building the government-wide integrated call center system over the past two years and hoped that the quality of civil complaint consultation services would improve and inter-ministerial cooperation would be strengthened in the future.

He further stated, “Since government call centers serve as the frontline communication channels with the public, I’d like to call for their attentive listening to the voices of the citizens and contribution to connect government policies to alleviate the difficulties faced by the people at the forefront.”