Transparency is the key to building trust between citizens and their government.
When information is available and clear, citizens can understand their government’s decisions and participate in finding solutions to the challenges facing their country.
Understanding government decisions enhances citizens’ shared responsibility in building society.
By the same token, the absence of this understanding leads to deterioration in trust between the government, on one hand, and citizens, on the other, which negatively affects citizens’ participation.
When citizens believe that they are kept in the dark about their country’s affairs, they grow angry.
In this context, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was keen to command the government to clarify the challenges facing the state to people.
During the latest opening of a number of development projects on May 25, the president underscored the importance of transparent communication between the government and citizens.
This is part of the government’s responsibilities towards society: Making citizens aware of the challenges facing the country.
On the other hand, the government’s failure to open to up to citizens about their country’s capabilities or challenges leaves these citizens to be preyed on by campaigns of disinformation steered by people who have their own agendas and goals.
Most people rely on social media and unreliable sources for news. This makes misinformation spread quickly, increasing citizens’ dissatisfaction.
This makes it necessary for the government to work assiduously to make citizens aware of everything.
Telling the truth about all internal and external files can refute rumours. It is actually a magic wand for confronting tendentious lies and increasing citizens’ contentment, loyalty, and sense of belonging.
Our government, I believe, is serious about building trust with citizens.
However, this cannot happen in the absence of correct information about important issues on the economic, social and health fronts.
Our government needs to formulate effective strategies for communication with citizens through official media, social media platforms, and public seminars.
It is also badly in need of releasing regular reports about the results of its work in all fields. This can help clarify the achievements of the government and the challenges it faces.
The government should also be prepared to refute rumours and misinformation that may spread among the public.
It can do this by providing correct information and clarifying facts. It needs to educate citizens about important issues and public policies, through awareness campaigns and educational programmes in schools and the universities.
State administration succeeds only when governments and citizens join hands in an atmosphere of shared-responsibility and understanding.
These two parties need to work together to build a prosperous and a stable society where there is justice and prosperity for every one.
Mohamed Fahmy is the editor-in-chief of The Egyptian Gazette and Egyptian Mail newspapers
