ASAN service center's website launched
By Nigar Orujova
The ASAN service center's website created by the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan was launched on Monday, Trend news agency reported.
The service center was created to ensure unified and coordinated provision of services rendered by government agencies.
The website has such sections as "ASAN services", "Online queue", "Call center", "Online contact", "Useful information", "Self-service," "Offsite service", "E-ASAN" and "Contact us".
Under the "ASAN services" section, citizens are introduced to the types of services rendered by ASAN Service, which was created by the State Agency.
Through the "Online queue" section, users may use services provided by ASAN Service centers. This system starts operating on January 15, 2013.
Via the call center, citizens may acquire information about services, required documents for applications, take a queue and give suggestions regarding the work of the Centers by phone and over the internet.
All phone calls from landlines, such as calls from home or office, from any region of the country to "108" as well as services provided via Call Center are free of charge.
Self-service means an opportunity for citizens to use all types of electronic services by means of computers with permanent Internet access in the Center. Citizens who do not have computers can use the internet provided at ASAN service centers.
Through the "Online Contact" section, people can submit complaints related to people working in the entity.
In the other sections, information is available about the Agency, relevant legislation, along with the necessary information on other entities.
The State Agency for Public Services and Social Innovations and ASAN Service Center #1 were opened by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on December 29. The agency and the service were created by the presidential decrees issued on July 13 and September 5.
The state agency was established to increase transparency in state bodies' activity, render more high quality, convenient services to citizens by using new methods and innovations, improve services and accelerate the transition to electronic services.
The agency is to manage specially created ASAN-Xidmet (service) centers, coordinate the work of employees of government agencies, who will work in the centers, deal with integration of databases of state agencies, swiftly organize e-services, and improve the governance system.
At the first stage, three centers will be set up in Baku, where citizens will have access to 24 services of nine state agencies -- the Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs and Taxes, the State Committee on Property Issues, State Customs Committee, State Migration Committee, State Land and Cartography Committee, State Social Protection Fund and National Archive Department.
It is also planned to open similar centers in some Baku districts and regions of the country in the future. ASAN centers in all Baku and Sumgayit city districts are expected to be opened by June 2013.
Special terminals will be installed at ASAN-Xidmet centers in January 2013. The services will be available for a special duty, but handicapped people and children with disabilities will benefit from them free of charge.
This will include such services as registration of marriages, births, death certificates, issuance of ID cards by the Interior Ministry, driver's license replacement, obtaining passports, etc.
The services to be available through the Internet will be rendered through the "single window" (one-stop shop) principle.
According to the head of the Department on Work with Law-Enforcement Agencies of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Fuad Alasgarov, the main purpose of ASAN is to satisfy citizens with legal services rendered by state agencies, to ensure transparency, rule out instances of corruption, to use modern technologies, to form new thinking in the relations between public servants and citizens.
"The service must be rendered promptly and transparently," Alasgarov said. "The rules of ethics must be thoroughly observed. One must take responsibility for fulfilment of their duties, and the maximum convenience of citizens using the center's services must be fully insured."
"In other words, the citizen must be satisfied as a result of a public body's executing its duties."
Alasgarov added that several state and international organizations have shown interest in ASAN Service's activity.