State Watchdog Flags Poor Public Service at Several Agencies

State Comptroller and Public Complaints Commissioner Matanyahu Englman published a special follow-up report on Wednesday reviewing public service levels at seven major public bodies. The report, which follows an earlier November 2024 assessment, says service quality is uneven: Israel Electric Corporation scored highest overall, while the Population and Immigration Authority, Transportation Ministry, Tax Authority and Israel Land Authority all fell below average, with especially weak results in call centers.

According to the report, digital service on websites improved significantly, but telephone hotlines remain the main weak point in public service. Englman said public servants must provide “excellent, efficient and courteous service to every person,” adding that service at some bodies is still “far from satisfactory,” especially in phone support.

He said the four lowest-scoring bodies, the Population and Immigration Authority, Transportation Ministry, Tax Authority and Israel Land Authority, received weighted scores ranging from 63 to 73. The report specifically calls for urgent “housekeeping” at the Transportation Ministry because its telephone-service score dropped sharply compared with the previous report. The Population and Immigration Authority’s call-center performance was described as requiring “significant improvement.”

After the 2024 report, the Public Complaints Commission decided to conduct this focused follow-up review. This year’s check examined websites, in-person service centers and telephone hotlines. Englman noted that about one-third of complaints filed with the commission are directly about service issues. He also said the shift to online services has helped, with website scores rising to 77.2 and the overall weighted score reaching 73.9, but warned that the public sector still falls short of private-sector standards and that human phone service remains essential for people who are not tech-savvy.