The Security Service of Ukraine tells when and how permit obtaining will be simplified

On May 5, the press club of the Security Service of Ukraine hosted a roundtable meeting on a very important subject: "Ways of permit system improvement within the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions".  Volunteer organizations, including Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center, got together with representatives of Ukrainian authorities to discuss the situation on imperfection of the permit system when crossing the borders of ATO area, share observations, and make suggestions.  The meeting was attended by:  Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine; Viktor Nazarenko, Head of State Border Service; Oleh Karyi, Head of department of the automated control system; Valeriya Lutkovska, Ombudsman of Ukraine; Egor Firsov, People's Deputy of Ukraine; and other representatives of Ukrainian authorities.                              

The main news of the meeting is the following. Permits will not be cancelled. Introduction of electronic permit system consists of four stages. Two of them are implemented.

According to Gennady Kuznetsov, deputy head of Anti-Terrorist Centre, there is a separate email server created, which has the corresponding mailboxes for Coordination Center and other groups. The information from these mailboxes is stored on the site of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Upon the information of the Security Service of Ukraine representative, to secure the higher speed of citizens' applications processing, they continue to work in a test mode with paper applications and entering electronic data both. These mechanisms supplement each other.

At the same time, according to his opinion, a significant number of applications, low speed internet channels, insufficient number of focal points, and the notorious human factor are not allowing to secure rapid process of data and inform public about the time of obtaining permits.  "That is why at the third stage we are planning to introduce satellite internet systems, transfer the Coordination Centre to Kyiv and increase the number of permit issuing points. The task is to provide maximum automate processing and secure protection of personal data", – Gennady Kuznetsov emphasized.

Soon the Security Service of Ukraine is promising to form a single application base that will enable the centralized check of applicant's status and track how the application is processed.

"On the 4th stage every person will be able to fill in the application form on his personal page in web resource and give consent for personal data process. Afterwards he/she will be assigned with unique number. Coordination Center will form a single register where this data will be entered.  Then the data will be tested by the unique number, and the person will get a permit", – Gennady Kuznetsov said.

The Security Service of Ukraine is planning that this system starts fully functioning in a month.

"As of May 5, paper permits are issued to 268,751 people, and 226,587 people have been registered", – Gennady Kuznetsov said.

Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, addressed the volunteers and said that the entire Security Service management was present at the meeting.  "Practically the entire Security Service attended this meeting to listen to your position and recommendations on how to solve the problem issues. Our call centre gets thousands of messages, among them there are many complaints. And it is true. First of all, people complain about the lack of feedback, complicated procedure, delays and that email for permit registration is not always working.  We would like to solve these problems", – Valentyn Nalyvaichenko frankly admitted.

In the end of the round table, he invited voluntary organizations, who wish to participate in permit system improvement, to enter the workgroup. Everybody will have an opportunity to make suggestions and share recommendations to make the process more efficient. The first workgroup meeting starts on May 6.