Russians will get state services via e-cards

Today the State Duma will consider on the second reading the draft law "On organization of public and municipal services." The new version of the document has a number of sections, specifying state, municipal and other services to the Russians with a universal electronic card.

In 2012-1013 these cards will be issued to citizens upon the application, and in 2014 without it. Finally, only those who write an application renouncing to have the card, will not have one.

Judging by description, the universal electronic card (UEC) will look like a bank plastic card. It is proposed, that the card should have a full name and a photograph of a cardholder; number and expiry date; the number of a pension certificate.

But the main thing in this card is stored within an electronic medium. In addition to general information about a cardholder, UEC will store so-called "electronic applications". These are special codes of an authorized access to particular services.

Almost the entire set of applications is tightly controlled by the state (in particular, mandatory health and pension insurance services). Banking services are of exception: the cardholder will be offered a choice from the list of banks that have signed the contract. However, the state reserves the right to choose a bank when a citizen does not show civic consciousness and initiative; for instance, has not filed an application for a card or a rejection of it in due time.

The bill states that the issuance of cards (except duplicates) will be done free of charge. However, this does not mean that citizens do not have to bear any costs.

Unfortunately, the bill is not very clear whether the UEC somehow will be used to authenticate people on a united portal of state services, but it is quite possible, that the UEC is the electronic key to the state services, the Russian Prime told about in February. Considering the fact, that the UEC will combine pension and health care cards, there is hope that it will reduce the number of numerous documents, without which a Russian can not be considered a full-fledged citizen.