Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- According to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 308 from 13 April 2019 “On measures to improve the system of social protection of the population using interdepartmental electronic interaction”, starting from 1 October 2019, it is planned to consider and assign social benefits and material assistance to needy segments of the population through the information system ( IS) “Unified Register”.

Its development and implementation is carried out under a grant from the UNICEF representative office, which includes financial, technical and expert support. In particular, the representative office concluded an agreement with an international company specializing in the creation of such systems. Technical and expert assistance is also provided by the World Bank in accordance with the Joint Biennial Work Plan 2019-2020.

According to the decree, the off-budget Pension Fund under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan determined the owner and user of the IS “Unified Register”, and its use started on October 1 as part of a pilot project in Syrdarya region. To implement the system, the UNICEF office in Uzbekistan provided 23 computers, a tablet and 11 laser printers to the fund’s divisions in this area - district, city offices and regional government. To consider the issues of appointing and monitoring the provision of social benefits to low-income families, 12 employees were additionally recruited to these institutions. Specialists of the international company developing IS, the central office of the Ministry of Finance and the fund held on-site training workshops to discuss the temporary situation on the procedure for the appointment and payment of social benefits and material assistance through the Unified Register information system.

For the first month of IS application, 2,103 cases of citizens' appeals to self-government bodies with a statement on the appointment of social benefits and material assistance were recorded. To date, all information on the documents they have provided is included in the Unified Register information system, 1,691 people have been assigned social benefits and material assistance. According to 313 applications, the study of material status and other information is ongoing. After the application will be categorized. In addition, in 99 appeals it is required to eliminate the shortcomings and other technical errors, and then they will be re-examined this month.

During the work, the responsible persons of the Ministry of Finance and the Pension Fund through IS regularly identify existing problems in the implementation of the project. Data on their decision is transmitted to the UNICEF office.

In October, employees of the World Bank, representative offices of UNICEF and the Ministry of Finance visited the Syrdarya region to familiarize themselves in more detail with the work of the IS “Unified Register” - the process of submitting applications and reviewing them. They studied the situation in the Havast, Mirzaabad, Syrdarya, Gulistan districts, the cities of Gulistan and Yangiyer, identified shortcomings and shared their proposals for their elimination at meetings with local experts. The guests also gave recommendations on how to improve the procedure for assigning and paying social benefits and material assistance to low-income families through the Unified Register information system.