Editor,

This is in response to the letter titled "Poor customer care” that appeared, in your esteemed paper n0 1761 of March 26, 2009.

I wish to thank Mr. Robert KABAHIGI and everyone who considers good customer care as a very crucial issue to our institution and our country in general.

Despite the fact that the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration always aspires to offer excellent customer care, some particular cases of misconduct of one of our staff member may occur.

What I can assure is that the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration does not encourage any bad attitude of employees towards customers.

However, the author made statements that need to be clarified to avoid misleading our customers. He stated that the office had suspended some of the staff without replacing them, which has never happened.

Besides that even if it was true, you do not suspend an employee and replace him/her. What I agree with Mr. KABAHIGI is that whatever it may be, it should not affect our clients.

Moreover the author did not specify which service he was soliciting from our office, whether it was Visa, Passport or Laissez-passer because we have three different front offices. It could have been more authentic and helpful if he had mentioned which of the front office he found that poor service.

For the benefit of the public, we have put our client charter on the doors of the three front offices where rights and responsibilities of customers are clearly indicated and person to contact if these are not observed.

We agree that some shortcoming can happen but our promise is always to do the better. As I conclude, I wish to take this opportunity to welcome all kind of criticisms or advices that are useful and intend to help us improve the way we deliver services to customers wherever they would come from.

NIYONSENGA Innocent
Public Relations Officer
Directorate General of
Immigration and Emigration
Tel :  07 88 62 02 50
E-mail: pro@migration.gov.rw