Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

As part of the "e-Culture" digital development strategy, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry continues to implement measures aimed at improving the quality of services provided to citizens in the field of cultural heritage, AzerNEWS reports citing the ministry.

In this context, the State Service for the Protection, Development, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture is introducing a new model for handling citizens' requests, designed to provide faster, more transparent services based on a "one-stop shop" principle. Citizens can create a personal account on the MyCulture portal without visiting a physical service center, access electronic services, submit applications online, and track the status of their requests in real time. By integrating processes into a digital environment, these electronic services help improve efficiency, minimize processing time, ensure transparent and traceable management of applications, and ultimately increase citizen satisfaction.

In addition, citizens' requests are accepted at the Citizen Reception Center, located at 84 Uzeyir Hajibayli Street, Baku (Government House, Entrance 4, First Floor). The Center's activities are aimed at expanding public access to electronic services, encouraging the submission of applications through the MyCulture digital platform, ensuring prompt and transparent service delivery, minimizing direct contact between citizens and public officials, and increasing citizen satisfaction. Individuals visiting the Citizen Reception Center receive technical and informational assistance from "Heritage Friend" (İrs Dostu) volunteers, who help them use the electronic system and assist with preparing applications and other required documents.

These measures have been implemented in accordance with the "Azerbaijan's Culture – 2040" Concept of the Republic of Azerbaijan and form part of broader efforts to improve citizens' access to cultural services.

It should be noted that through the MyCulture portal, the State Service provides the following electronic services:

• Issuance of approvals for project proposals involving the restoration, conservation, repair, reconstruction, regeneration, and other works on immovable historical and cultural monuments or their individual components;

• Issuance of consent for the conversion of residential premises into non-residential premises, or non-residential premises into residential premises, within immovable historical and cultural monuments under state protection;

• Issuance of permits to continue construction and other economic activities in areas where immovable historical and cultural monuments are discovered during construction or other works;

• Issuance of approvals for construction and landscaping works within protected heritage reserves and monument protection zones;

• Issuance of consent for the sale and purchase of immovable historical and cultural monuments;

• Issuance of consent for the leasing of privately owned immovable historical and cultural monuments, as well as the residential and non-residential premises associated with them.