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ASAN centres in Azerbaijan serve for population’s benefit

Analysis Materials 26 September 2012 15:29 (UTC +04:00)
In 2009, according to the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, Azerbaijan was recognised as the world's leader among the countries in terms of simply doing business.
ASAN centres in Azerbaijan serve for population’s benefit

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 26 / Trend /

Ellada Khankishiyeva, Trend Analytical Centre Head

In 2009, according to the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, Azerbaijan was recognised as the world's leader among the countries in terms of simply doing business.
During that period Azerbaijan has achieved this by introducing a 'single window' system since Jan. 2008 for registering new enterprises. This reduced the number of necessary procedures from 30 to seven and the costs by a half. Azerbaijan will soon become famous worldwide by its social reforms by introducing the 'single window' system in this area, but in a more sophisticated form.

Azerbaijan decided to unite most public services by using new methods and modern innovations for the convenience and time saving of Azerbaijani citizens and visitors. The services will be united in specially created centres ASAN xidmet, having the status of a public body. The state bodies and the population will contact with each other under these centres.
The following public services will be available initially to the public in the 'ASAN xidmet' centres:

- Registration of civil acts
- Notary services,
- Issuing and replacing ID cards and passports,
- Replacing a driver's licence
- Issuing certificates of conviction,
- Registration of real estate transactions,
- Registration of commercial organisations and taxpayers
- Issuing archival reference to physical and legal entities,
- Receiving documents for registration of customs declarations
- Issuing permits for temporary and permanent residence permits, including those for the status of immigrants in Azerbaijan
- Issuing certificates about the information on the land cadastre
- Assigning pensions,
- Information services for all the services rendered by state agencies.

These centres will be located in comfortable buildings and equipped with modern equipment and technology. They will have professional employees who have been trained in special courses on customer service in an ethical manner.

The hall for visitors will be divided into the following spaces - for getting services directly and self-service. Appealing to the information kiosk just after entering the centre with a request for the services, visitors will know about the amount of state fees and where to go to submit the documents. The self-service includes the automated systems where consumers will be able to get different types of services.

The movement of citizens will be regulated by an electronic integrated queue management system with a minimum waiting period. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, the citizens will appeal to the appropriate service area. The objectives of 'ASAN xidmet' centres are to render mobile services by phone through the centres Call system, or through the Internet. The centres will be able to simultaneously serve a large number of customers each calendar day.

Regardless of social status visitors will be welcomed by rendering the services to all citizens, regardless of residence registration. Those with children will feel comfortable and the children can play, watch cartoons or draw in a special area. An Internet cafe, photo studio, bank, post offices and other facilities will operate there.

The services will be rendered in 'ASAN xidmet' centres on the basis of the principles of efficiency, transparency, courtesy, responsibility and comfort for all citizens. Thanks to these centres citizens will save money and time. As time is also money in the modern world, the money will be saved twice over.

By the way, one does not have to be nervous as can happen while obtaining any reference, extracts from the register or other document from the various instances. As the 'ASAN xidmet' centres will be built in different parts of the republic, the problem of citizens arriving from the regions to the capital for documents will be resolved.

Two million manat, envisaged in the State Budget for 2012, was initially allocated from the president's Reserve Fund to establish these centres. The State Agency for Services to Citizens and Social Innovation under the Azerbaijani president established by the presidential decree dated July 13 will manage them. In particular, the state agency will coordinate the activity of employees of state agencies, who work at the centres, monitor and evaluate, deal with mutual integration of databases of state agencies, accelerate organising e-services and improve governance in the sector.

Consequently, the widespread use of electronic services in these centres will minimise the communication of citizens with officials. This is a direct goal of the national programme to combat corruption. Creating these centres will also help to unite the various state agencies. This will improve public administration and save on public funds.

For example, after the presidential decree on the establishment of a new State Agency, a decree on the establishment of State Agency for 'e-government' under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies and changing the structure of the Ministry was annulled.

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