Activities of the territorial service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: was it possible to completely eliminate corruption schemes after the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs?

Ukraine faces corruption in various spheres of public life, including politics, economy and justice. Despite the fact that in recent years there has been an active fight against it, this problem continues to worry Ukrainians and the world community.

Since 2016, the infamous MREVs, which have been functioning as a system of service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 8 years, underwent a fundamental transformation. First of all, it should be noted that the reform of MREV was intended to take an important step in the fight against corruption in Ukraine, to become more transparent and open to the public. However, was it possible to completely eliminate corruption schemes after the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications? For a comment on the activities of modern service centers and ways of combating corruption schemes of the past, IA “FACT” turned to the spokeswoman of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kateryna Samitovska.

How many territorial service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are currently operating and what services can be used in them? Despite the military actions, how did they restore their provision in the entire territory of unoccupied Ukraine?

Modern service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are large, open and transparent open-space. On February 24, 2022, they had to temporarily suspend their activities, after which the restoration of the provision of administrative and other services took place in stages, taking into account security issues. Currently, 144 territorial service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 24 regions are fully operational on the territory of Ukraine. 51 of them resumed their activities in the de-occupied territories. Mobile service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs operate for the convenience of citizens in the liberated areas of Kharkiv and Kherson regions. The crew of each car provides about 30 services per departure. During the 2 years of the full-scale war, 1.1 thousand trips were made by mobile service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In the service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, among the online services, an electronic record (e-record) and the possibility of taking a ticket for the services of the service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs online have been introduced; driver’s license exchange at the Driver’s Office; online services for checking driver’s license and car registration certificate. Service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are the only authority in Ukraine for issuing driver’s licenses, which provide transparent examination.

Last year, in addition to the usual ones, a number of other online services with a set cost of popular administrative services of the service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were also introduced. For example, delivery of a driver’s license to a post office in Ukraine, which costs UAH 294. The cost of exchanging a driver’s license is UAH 515, this service is available when exchanging and renewing a driver’s license in the Driver’s Office and in the Diya! application. There are other services, here is their list:

• International delivery of a driver’s license, available in 27 countries of the world – online in the Driver’s Office. The delivery time is about 15 days. Estimated cost is about UAH 1,300.
• Sale and purchase of a vehicle is now available online in the Diya application (sales contract execution). Documents are delivered within 10 days. Logistics costs amount to UAH 294. And the cost of re-registration of a passenger car is approximately UAH 1,100.
• Reservation of license plates in the driver’s office. If a car owner or buyer wants to get exactly the desired combination, for example 7777, then before visiting the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there is an opportunity not only to see which license plates are available in this particular service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but even to choose and order a reservation of a license plate online.
• Calculator of estimated cost of vehicle registration. This functionality is available to vehicle owners, free and easy to use. The online cost calculation service takes into account: administrative service, paid or free number plate, what will be the tax on the second sale of the vehicle, and the amount of the pension tax for the first registration of a passenger car.
• Exchange of a driver’s license abroad at the centers of the State Enterprise “Dokument”. The service is available in seven European countries: Poland, Slovakia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and Italy. Ukrainians can exchange their existing or restore lost or stolen driver’s licenses at the centers of SE Dokument.

What measures are currently being used in territorial service centers to avoid corruption risks?

The activities of modern service centers are aimed at increasing transparency and reducing the interference of officials, which significantly reduces the level of corruption. Currently, we have enhanced technical control over the passing of exams by future drivers. In particular, 4 video cameras with audio recording, which record sound, are installed in the classrooms for passing the theoretical exam. Also, video cameras are installed in vehicles on which driver candidates take practical exams. These devices fix the arms and legs of both the candidate driver and the examiner. Thanks to enhanced video surveillance, future drivers will not be able to receive a possible tip from outsiders and any possible interference in exams is excluded.

Such enhanced technical control will become an effective tool for contesting exam results, because the introduction of digital technologies, electronic registration and monitoring systems will significantly reduce the human factor and opportunities for interference in the processes by officials.

In addition, it is necessary to remember that the fight against corruption requires systemic changes and constant control. Some people and groups may try to find new ways to circumvent laws and exploit weaknesses in our new systems. Therefore, we try to ensure that the new working conditions are accompanied by effective monitoring activities, as well as training and support for our employees, so that they can adapt to the new rules and prevent possible corruption attempts.

Is it possible to get a driver’s license for the first time without studying at a driving school? If so, what is the procedure and cost of the service?

It is possible to independently prepare for the theory test at the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and learn the rules of the road. For this, driver candidates can use printed and electronic literature and Traffic Rules approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. There is also an opportunity to test your knowledge before taking the exam by using online traffic simulator on the website of the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A driver candidate has 20 minutes to answer 20 test questions. 2 mistakes are allowed, if more – the exam is not passed. The number of attempts is unlimited, and the next one is allowed after 10 days.

The cost of the theoretical exam is UAH 250. After completing the training, the driver candidate is allowed to take a practical test at the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the cost of which is UAH 420. For the first time, a driver’s license is issued for 2 years. The document is obtained at the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where the practical exam is taken. Its estimated cost is UAH 515. Please note that within 10 days future drivers can appeal the results of the exams. To do this, it is necessary to apply to the regional service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the region in which the examination was held. I would like to note that receiving a copy of the video recording will be available for 30 days.

Are there cases when the patrol police discover forged documents from citizens?

Patrol police on public roads often find citizens with forged documents. Also, the services of the service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are requested by drivers who, upon checking the registers, have fake driver’s licenses and vehicle registration certificates. Sometimes people themselves admit that they purchased the ID on the Internet. Therefore, the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs actively monitors Facebook, Telegram and other social networks. We send the link to the announcement about the production of driver’s licenses to the Cyber ​​Police, which processes the received data. We have already sent more than 250 such links with phishing sites, while 50 people who may be involved in the production of fake documents have been identified.