Amer Muhammad Al Humaidi (left) and Dr Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari during the launch of the new electronic inspection system yesterday. Pic: Kammutty V P / The Peninsula
To bring transparency, the inspectors and supervisors of municipalities will now be equipped with digital gadgets as the age of paper use comes to an end.
They will take pictures and record videos of violations after the Ministry of Municipality and Environment announced the launch of "e-inspection" yesterday.
“From the next week, food inspectors will be able to start their inspection electronically. They will register violations and save it electronically and also send notifications to authorities concerned to take decisions about violators,” said Dr Mohamed Saif Al Kuwari, Director of the the Municipal and Environmental Studies Center of the Ministry.
Al Kuwari also added: “The first phase is limited to food inspectors and we hope by the end of this year all ministry’s inspectors will be able to use this application instead of papers.”
“The work will be easier for inspectors and bring more transparency in the system. They can take picture and video through the iPad and can also find the location of the food outlets and all the information they need about the companies through entering the license number in collaboration with the Ministry of economy and commerce,” Al Kuwari added while talking yesterday in a press conference.
Training for 104 inspectors under way
The e-inspection application was announced yesterday by the Municipal and Environmental Studies Center and Geographical Information System at the Ministry.
“Earlier, inspectors used to find difficulties during inspection visits. They had to register violations on papers and bring them back to office. But, now they can register violations directly, take pictures and videos, send notifications directly to the authorities concerned to take decision” Al Kuwari said.
As many as 104 inspectors from different municipalities are getting training in the use of this application. The training started yesterday and will continue for five days, Al Kuwari said.
Amer Al Humaidi, Assistant Director of Geographical Information System, said: “The e-programme saves time and efforts and will help inspectors to take decisions quickly based on the available information which is saved in the application. Also, inspectors will create a data base about all the violators of ministry’s rules either about cleaning, fish and animal resources, environment, excavation and building.”
Such database which the ministry will create will contribute of classification the institutions either they must be blacklisted or be placed under monitoring.
