Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Simplification of getting services from the state is our consistent policy

On Tuesday, July 28, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk visited the Center of administrative services of the Lutsk city council during his working visit to Volyn region.

The Prime Minister got acquainted with new services provided by the Justice Ministry that are being implemented together with local authorities under decentralization.

He visited the front office of the centre, in particular, he acquainted with the electronic filing system and met with employees.

"This is our consistent policy - the state must serve its people. The state must provide services," he emphasized.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk highlighted that combating corruption requires not only the strong law enforcement system, but also a reduction in state functions and simplification of getting services: "It is impossible to give a bribe to a computer. If you filled out an online form, this form was worked out and you received a message on your mobile that you can come and get any permits. Thus, there is just no need to give a bribe for this service."

One of the key goals of the reforms the Prime Minister called "the transfer of authority from Kyiv to the ground": "It was a classic centralization of corruption, including in the Ministry of Justice. And the current Ministry of Justice is the first one which does exactly the opposite: it does not centralize functions and distributes them to the local level, breaking down the corruption scheme."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk called it important to keep to a minimum "contact between a citizen and an official": "E-form and cooperation with someone who not subscribes a document, but who helps to fill this paper - the front-office administrator. And a person taking administrative decisions even doesn’t have the possibility to contact with a person who needs a service. Therefore, this is the best way how to combat corruption."

He spotlighted that such centers for providing administrative services must be established across the country. For this purpose, Arseniy Yatsenyuk pointed out, the Government took appropriate decisions.

"We have to facilitate the lives of our citizens. This is a legal requirement from a citizen - give me a service because I pay taxes to the state budget, these taxes are held by civil servants, and they and local government officials must just help me and get a document prescribed by law without corruption," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Every day employees of the Lutsk center for providing administrative services get 700 to 800 applications on the provision of administrative services and give up to 100 consultations on various issues. Today, this centre provides 289 services.