CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE 276. The public service is also faced with bureaucracy and excessive centralisation. Many participants pointed to the laborious bureaucratic procedures extended over many years by the one-party system and centralisation. Visits to wilayas, especially in the South, revealed flagrant inadequacies and problems, notably the slow, bureaucratic procedures for accessing administrative documents. For example, it was reported that, between the initial idea to establish a small or medium enterprise and its realisation, it was possible for several months, even years, to pass. Several documents were required and it was not easy to assemble these within a reasonable space of time. 277. Small-scale corruption. Citizens struggled to gain access to bank credit from public or land banks. Often, in order to speed up dossier procedures, they were forced to pay bribes. This has had the effect of exacerbating tensions in the relations between the administration and the citizens. 278. As regards insufficient logistical resources allocated to administrations in the South in order to increase their efficiency, distribute budget allocations and promulgate regulations, did not always take the specificity of the wilayas into account, particularly those that were geographically distant and spread out. This includes costs of displacement, delays in the circulation of information, an erratic Internet network, long distances that had to be covered, and so forth. 279. Under-representation of populations of the South in public administration was raised as a problem, since responsible and managerial positions in local communities were generally entrusted to people from the northern regions (the posts of the Wali, the daïra chiefs, managers of public markets, inspectors of work, etc.). In the short term, this situation is justified by problems of human resource capacity in these regions. A long-term strategy, aimed at actively integrating populations of the South into the political, administrative and social life of the country, is called for. 280. As regards access to public services, the CRM noted that, since 2000, one of the principal axes of administrative reform has been the use of appropriate ICTs. These provide an exceptional opportunity for transcending centralised planning, management and administration models with the objectives of decentralising to the local level and sustaining communication between the state, elected institutions, territorial communities and civil society. 281. The governmental intranet network and the use of ICTs allow for the exchange of electronic information between different state institutions and for improved access to public services. The judicial sector has recorded enormous progress, for example: immediate delivery of information and certain documents such as nationality certificates thanks to the institution of a single office; police records that are obtainable throughout the territory; and the existence of a website (www.mjustice.dz) enabling citizens to consult on any legal problems they encounter. 95