State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman found that public service improved in most of the seven public bodies examined in a follow-up report published Wednesday, but warned that several key agencies still provide service below the average, especially through telephone call centers.
The special follow-up report by the State Comptroller’s Office examined the quality of service provided by the National Insurance Institute, the Israel Tax Authority, the Population and Immigration Authority, the Transportation Ministry, Amidar, the Israel Electric Corporation, and the Israel Land Authority. The same bodies were reviewed in a previous report published in November 2024, allowing the ombudsman to compare whether lessons were learned.
Englman said public servants must provide efficient, accessible, and respectful service to every person, but that the level of service in some bodies was “still far from sufficient,” mainly in call centers. About a third of the complaints handled by his office each year concern public service, he said, showing how central the issue is for the public.
The report gave each body a weighted score based on three areas: service at physical reception centers, which accounted for 50% of the score; information and services on the body’s website, which accounted for 25%; and telephone call center service, which accounted for 25%.
The proof is in the numbers for public service improvement
The average weighted score for all bodies rose from 70.8 in the previous survey to 73.9 in the current one. Almost every body improved its overall score, except the Transportation Ministry, whose score dropped from 75.6 to 69.5. Englman said the ministry must conduct an internal review because of the decline in its phone service.
The Israel Electric Corporation received the highest weighted score, 87.7, up from 81.1 in the previous survey. It led both in website service, with a score of 96, and call-center service, with 96.7, and also led in-person service, with 79.1.
The Population and Immigration Authority received the lowest overall score for the second survey in a row, though it improved from 59.2 to 63.3. It was dragged down mainly by its telephone service, which scored only 38.6, the lowest of all bodies examined. The authority did improve from its previous call-center score of 31.4, but remained far below the average.
At physical service centers, the average score rose slightly from 70.2 to 70.9. Staff from the Comptroller’s Office conducted 21 visits in January 2026, with three visits to each body, in Jerusalem, the South, and the North. The best scores went to the Israel Electric Corporation, 79.1, and the Transportation Ministry, 75.3. The lowest went to Amidar, 62.8, the Israel Land Authority, 64.6, and the Population Authority, 70.6.
The detailed chart on service centers showed particularly weak performance on language accessibility and opening hours. The average score for language service across the centers was only 33.3, and the average for opening hours was 44.5. By contrast, cleanliness and appearance scored 91.8 on average, accessibility aspects scored 88.1, and access and signage also scored 88.1. Many centers looked orderly and physically accessible, but were harder to use for people who needed service in another language or outside narrow hours.
The greatest improvement was found on websites. The average score for information and online services rose sharply from 65.5 to 77.2. The Israel Electric Corporation led with 96, followed by Amidar at 82.3 and the National Insurance Institute at 79.9. The Tax Authority received the lowest website score, 63.1, followed by the Transportation Ministry at 70.7, the Population Authority at 73.2, and the Israel Land Authority at 75.4.
The report noted that the website survey was adjusted because many bodies now provide personal information through private online areas. Even so, the website heat map showed uneven service. Most bodies listed services online, but the average score for online appointment scheduling was only six-point-four out of 10, and the score for contact options was six-point-six.
Call centers are the biggest areas for worry
The most worrying findings concerned telephone call centers. The average call-center score fell from 77.2 to 76.4, making it the only major service channel that declined. Staff tested each call center by placing 30 calls and checking wait times, callback options, operating hours, human service in languages other than Hebrew, and interactive voice response systems in other languages.
Amidar received the highest call-center score, 97.5, followed by the Israel Electric Corporation at 96.7, the National Insurance Institute at 86.8, and the Israel Land Authority at 86.1. The weakest scores were the Population Authority at 38.6 and the Transportation Ministry at 56.8. The Transportation Ministry’s call-center score dropped from 86 to 56.8.
The call-center heat map showed why the gap matters. The Transportation Ministry received almost no credit for average response time, with zero-point-four out of 10. The Population Authority also scored poorly on response time, three-point-nine, and received zero for leaving a message. The Tax Authority received zero for interactive telephone service in other languages. For people who cannot easily use digital services, including older people, people with limited Hebrew, and those without high digital literacy, the phone line is often the main route to government.
Englman’s report, therefore, presents a mixed picture. Public bodies have improved, especially online, and some, led by the Israel Electric Corporation, now provide comparatively strong service. But the bodies most closely tied to daily bureaucratic needs still leave residents struggling to get answers.
The test for ministries and public agencies, the comptroller said, is not only whether they publish more information, but whether people can actually reach someone, understand what they must do, and receive service in a reasonable time.