Justice ministry, IT volunteers launch business registration online

The Ukrainian Justice Ministry and IT specialists working on a volunteer basis have launched two new services to register a private business and a company on the iGov online portal in a move to fight corruption and improve interaction between government agencies.

"From today, we're launching two new services, which are most popular according to Ukrainians' feedback – the state registration of a private entrepreneur and a company," coordinator of the iGov volunteer project, head of PrivatBank's IT projects Dmytro Dubilet said at a press conference at UNIAN on Thursday, April 21.

In his words, business registration online will be available to all Ukrainian citizens.

"We've launched this service through Dnipropetrovsk Regional Administration with the assistance of that region's district administrations. But thanks to the fact that it is online, this service will be available to businessmen and companies all over Ukraine," Dubilet said.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko, who was also present at the press conference, said that last year Ukraine climbed by 13 positions in the World Bank's Doing Business ranking to 83rd due to liberalization of business and real estate registration.

The minister said he hoped that Ukraine would be able to climb 10 more positions next year.

"I'm sure Ukraine will soon be among Europe's top three leaders in terms of e-government. I think we'll be able to do this due to joint efforts," he said.

Petrenko also announced the launch of such online services in the near future as change of a company profile and registration of a new director of a company.

He also said that the iGov portal was planned to be synchronized with the Justice Ministry.

"The services will be available both on iGov and on the Justice Ministry's website at the same time," he said.

The minister boasted that the ministry jointly with IT volunteer specialists had managed to make half of state services available online within less than a year. Now more than one million Ukrainians use paid online services nowadays, he said.

"We have created an optional benefit and e-opportunity for every Ukrainian citizen to enjoy an e-service, sitting at home," he said.

Dnipropetrovsk region is Ukraine's leader in terms of launching e-services in the government sector today, he said.

Yuriy Golyk, an advisor to Dnipropetrovsk region's governor, also announced at the press conference that 194 state services are available online to residents in Dnipropetrovsk region.

"The task set by [Governor Valentyn] Reznichenko until the end of the year is that all the services should be online," Golyk added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, a team of IT specialists working on a volunteer basis together with NGO ICT Competence Center in June 2015 launched an online portal at iGov.org.ua, which offers state services online.

On March 25, 2016, Dubilet announced that PwC, Ward Howell and Talent Advisors would conduct a technical audit of iGov.org.ua, which will later let the volunteer team transfer the portal to the government's management. The audit was ordered by Transparency International and Ukraine's Economy Ministry.

Last year, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers declared its intention to implement the e-government system in the country until 2017. E-services are planned to be launched in Ukraine within the next two years along with the introduction of electronic identification and electronic signatures for individuals. Another task set before the Cabinet of Ministers is to cease the use of hardcopy documents. In addition, the government plans to pass a law on a single electronic interaction system until 2017.

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