Manama: The Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) has introduced a revamped property subdivision service as part of a broader government initiative to streamline and improve public services. This enhanced service includes the main subdivision of properties, which involves assessing applications for property subdivisions with the creation of roads, in coordination with relevant authorities and aligned with planning and development regulations.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the service also covers partial property subdivisions, where applications are evaluated for the subdivision of properties without the creation of roads. This is done in collaboration with relevant authorities and adheres to the regulations governing land subdivision. The update classifies property subdivision applications based on their status, significantly reducing the processing time for both main and partial subdivisions.
The processing time for main subdivision applications has been cut from 42-133 working days to 31-66 working days, contingent on the application status. For partial subdivisions involving more than five plots, the time has been reduced from 42-102 working days to 20-35 working days. Meanwhile, applications involving five plots or fewer now have a processing time of 5-33 working days, down from 15-98 working days. The number of required approvals and documents has also decreased for certain categories.
Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Khayyat, CEO of UPDA, stated that this initiative is part of the Authority's strategy to integrate innovative digital solutions, which aims to boost procedural efficiency and speed up transaction completions, ultimately enhancing the service quality and beneficiary experience. Al Khayyat emphasized the Authority's dedication to refining its services to save time and effort for institutions and improve the work system's effectiveness.
As part of the government's continuous efforts to refine public services, over 1,300 government services have been documented, translated, and published. Approximately 800 services are under development and re-engineering across various sectors. These efforts are based on feedback from the National System for Suggestions and Complaints, Tawasul, investor feedback, and secret shopper reports, alongside the introduction of guidance manuals and service level agreements.
These initiatives are pivotal in bolstering procedural efficiency, enhancing service quality, improving beneficiary experiences, and propelling the government's digital transformation journey.