The 2022 Annual Report on trust in Australian public services has revealed that the Australian Tax Office (ATO) is the most trusted federal agency, with its ambitious internal reform program giving them the highest satisfaction rating among the public. 

The survey, which was commissioned by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, found that trust in government public services in the past year is higher than before the pandemic. 

After collecting data from over 12,000 Australians in the last 12 months, it was found that 81 per cent trusted the ATO. 

The ATO also topped the satisfaction ratings, with 82 per cent of Australians saying they were happy with its service.  

The high public satisfaction rating follows the internal reform program introduced by ATO commissioner and former KPMG consultant Chris Jordan, which focused on service delivery expertise and integrity. 

Since the introduction of this program, the ATO has been leading government agencies in automation, digitisation and the use of data to streamline procedures and find fraud and high-risk transactions.  

The survey also revealed the trust and satisfaction rates for other government agencies, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme at 79 per cent and Medicare at 78 per cent.  

Meanwhile, the National Disability Insurance Scheme had the lowest satisfaction rating and the second-lowest trust rating, with people with disabilities having a higher distrust in government as well as being less satisfied with all public services they use. 

It was also found that trust in Australian public services is comparable to trust in Australian businesses, with both in the 60 per cent range.  

Meanwhile, Australians were found to trust public services more than the federal and local government. 

The survey also revealed a large issue of declining institutional trust across Western democracies as those who do not trust other people were found to have low trust in public services. 

The 2022 Annual Report on trust in Australian public services is part of the federal government’s reform program on ensuring the multibillion-dollar transformation programs are translating into better customer outcomes.  

Source: AFR. Content has been edited for style and length.

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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