Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – A group of NGOs has urged the House of Representatives to revise and immediately pass into law a public services bill to guarantee citizens' rights to adequate and accessible public services.

The Public Services Monitoring Community told a seminar here Wednesday the bill had yet to guarantee the services would accommodate basic rights and be accessible for vulnerable groups, including women, senior citizens, the disabled and the poor.

"The public has been deprived by the state's failure to provide appropriate public services," said group member Herni Sri Nurbayanti.

"The government's obligation is not only in providing good services but also in ensuring all people are able to use the services," she added.

She said the bill, proposed by the ministry of state administrative reform to the House in 2005, still had many flaws and would not be able to improve the poor state of public services in the country.

The group has drafted its own version of the bill, which contains several stipulations not found in the government's version, to be proposed to the House's Commission II overseeing state bodies.

The group's draft includes creating special services for vulnerable groups, a clear mechanism for filing complaints and sanctions on state officials and citizens found in violation of the regulations.

Other additions include the formation of an independent body with the authority to accept complaints and settle disputes relating to public services.

The group recommended that sanctions imposed on violators not be merely administrative sanctions, but also criminal and civil punishments.

The group also demanded the government allow more opportunities for the private sector to participate in providing public services.

Commission II member Sayuti Asyatri said the House would soon continue deliberation of the bill, but did not mention a deadline for passing it into law.

In 2006, the year after the bill was proposed, the House did not discuss the bill at all. It continued deliberating the bill last year.

"We expect the deliberation will soon be completed because this bill has long been awaited and stuck at the House. Besides, Commission II still has other matters on its agenda, especially in connection with the 2009 general election," Sayuti said.

He said he would propose to the Commission II the NGO's version of the bill and ensure there would be no articles in the bill that could give rise to misinterpretation.

Deputy of the ministry's public services department Cerdas Kaban said in the seminar that public services in some regencies were far better than in the country's capital because the regional administrations were more committed to serving the public.

He cited the Jembrana regency in Bali and Sragen regency in Central Java as examples of best practices in public services.