It's COVID. Here in Canada it means that SOME civil servants have been on holiday for 17 months, have reduced hours, reduced service, no reduction in pay.
So if you need some kind of form or permit you are SOA and add 2-24 months to the traditional foot dragging and indecisiveness. But if you have to pay then deadlines are unmovable, set in stone, how dare you complain, after all we are in a COVID pandemic.