Police brass promise better service at passport agencies

by Armen Hakobyan

Published: Thursday November 13, 2008

Col. Gevorg Mherian, a deputy chief of police of Armenia. Photolure

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Police Colonel Gevork Mherian, a deputy head of Armenia's Police, is a new face in this system. He was appointed to the post only recently; prior to that he was an advisor to the president on legal issues. Col. Mherian supervises the activities of the Passport and Visa Department of the Police. On November 11, at a press conference called specifically for this purpose, he presented the reforms planned for the sector.

He said significant work has been carried out at the passport departments to increase the level of service to citizens and to clarify deadlines for providing certain services. In particular, a departmental rule has been adopted, which clearly states that passports should be provided to citizens within five working days. "At the same time it has been decided that passports can be handed out in a shorter period of time," he said and noted that the police have developed a plan according to which if a citizen wants pick up his passport in one day, then for the fast service he or she must pay an additional 20,000 drams at the bank. After presenting the receipt, the passport department is obliged to hand out the passport in one day. In order to receive the passport within four days, citizens must pay an additional 10,000 drams. If the citizen is not in a rush, however, he or she simply pays the state fee for a passport and within 5 days the authorities are obliged to issue the passport.

Col. Mherian also noted that information posters have been placed in all passport departments throughout Armenia, on which the list of the documents required and the deadlines are noted. This is an important improvement, as in the past, people had to visit and stand in line once to find out what documents are needed, return with the documents, be told that they need additional documents, and so on. Col. Mherian also announced that a hotline is in operation, at 52-65-72.

The Armenian Reporter was naturally most interested whether the wave of reforms had reached the central office of "OVIR," as the agency is widely known, where non-citizens apply for visa extensions, residency permits, and dual citizenship. In reporting carried out a few months ago, the Reporter found that numerous diaspora Armenians had to deal with surly and rude officers. "I do not know what you saw a few months ago, but I too have heard complaints," Col. Mherian said. "And for exactly that reason, these reforms are being implemented. Now you will not see people filling in their applications on the hood of a car and surly officers. And if you do, call me immediately. Those officers who are very rude will be punished and lose their jobs."