Uganda Partners with Azerbaijan to Replicate ‘One Stop Centre’ Service Delivery Model

The government of Azerbaijan is partnering with Uganda to replicate the ASAN Xidmat, an e-Government system known to have improved public service delivery efficiency in countries like Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan Service and Assessment Network (ASAN Xidmat) also known as “ASAN service” centers are “one-stop shop”-based locations that bring together representatives of 11 government entities and private companies providing services in a public-private partnership.

More than 300 services are provided, including birth, death and marriage registration; identity cards; passports; driver licenses; real estate records; immigrant status and other civic services.

At the same time, functional support services, including banking, insurance, legal support, translation and other services are rendered at the center.

On  Monday, Ambassador Patrick Mugoya, the Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Catherine Bitarakwate, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Service met a delegation from the Republic of Azerbaijan led by Azail Jafinli, the Chief of Administration of ASAN Xidmat.

The delegation is on a seven-day working visit to make a needs assessment study that will establish a One Stop Shop entity to improve service delivery in the Ugandan government on the basis of the ASAN Xidmat model of Azerbaijan.

Ambassador Mugoya hailed the good relations between Uganda and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

He informed the delegation that the Ministry of Public Service was pivotal in the improvement of service delivery and expressed the hope that this initiative will improve the E-government system in the country.

On his part, Azail Jafinli, the Chief of Administration of ASAN Xidmat reiterated his country’s intention to replicate the ASAN Xidmat model and make Uganda a role model in E-governance for the rest of the African continent and promised to mobilize resources to that effect.

The meeting was attended by officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Service and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The ASAN service centres operate on key principles of efficiency – to help the citizens avoid unnecessary costs and save time in accessing services and transparency – by ensuring fees for services are paid through banks and payment terminals located in the centers.

All operations and transactions in the centers are video recorded. This helps achieve the total elimination of bureaucratic hurdles and conditions conductive to corruption in the centers.

The other principles on which the model is based is; comfort, politeness and innovativeness.