Mepa unveils new information services

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority yesterday launched two new services - MyPlanning and Mobileplus - to offer a more efficient and effective customer service.

Environment Minister George Pullicino said the services were in addition to those offered by Mepa in the past years.

He recalled that when he practised as an architect one had to visit the Mepa offices to obtain a site plan and to follow up on an application. All this and more could now be done from one's computer at home or at the office.

All this, however, was not enough and accessibility to information had to continue increasing, he said.

Mepa's corporate services director Matthew Gatt explained that MyPlanning is an online service primarily targeted at architects, local councils and developers who need to simultaneously keep track of a number of planning applications and enforcement.

The system informed the subscribed user of any changes to the status of an application through an e-mail notification when the status of the tracked application changed. Through the use of links, further details on the application or enforcement can be viewed.

"This facility will make life easier for architects, local councils, and other clients who constantly need to monitor applications and enforcement notices for their clients or locality. We are determined to stay ahead of the expectations of our customers," he said.

Subscribers will be able to keep track of development applications, enforcement cases, planning control applications, development notification order cases and sanitary endorsements.

Subscription to this service is 50c for e-mail notices or Lm1 for those who require development notices via both e-mail and SMS.

Mobileplus is a text message service that is available to Mepa customers who wish to know the status of an application through their mobile phone.

"With SMS being the fastest growing and most popular means of communication, this service is aimed at increasing public accessibility to information," chief information officer Antoine Zahra said.

Customers wishing to know the status of an application can send an SMS with the planning application number to mobile number 5061 9800 and within seconds a message with the status of the application will be returned to the sender. Mepa clients will pay 15c for each inquiry they submit.

This service is being supported by both Go Mobile and Vodafone.

Mepa is planning more electronic services in the near future to ensure that the benefits of advances in ICT are effectively used to improve its business processes.

Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja said the authority's website received a total of 800,000 hits since 2001 including 313,000 last year.

All work related to the development of the two new services was done by Mepa staff at the IT unit.

Mr Pullicino pointed out that the services being offered were not intended to substitute direct human contact but would be over and above such contact.

He said an audit was being carried out by Mepa and the management efficiency unit regarding the efficiency of application processes, applications and the quality of the case officer reports.

Once the reports were available Mepa would then make the necessary changes to continue improving its service accordingly.

Mr Pullicino said Mepa received more than 7,000 applications each year and more than 80 per cent were dealt with within the time stipulated by law, that is 12 weeks for a normal application and 26 weeks for major projects.