Government institutions are not efficient for one reason – there isn’t any competition.
If live in a foreign country, and you need a new passport you have two options: go home and make a new one or go to your embassy and do the same; you can’t go to Walmart or order it online.
Therefore, they can treat you as garbage, put you on hold and charge you as much as they can.
If there is another place where you could get a passport, you would choose the cheapest, the best quality and the most efficient.