VIDEO: "How does a police officer determine whether I need an ID card?" – Arsen Torosyan to the Deputy Chief of Police

In Armenia this year, 155,766 identification cards have been issued to citizens. The volume of identification cards provided to citizens has significantly increased. This was stated by Deputy Chief of Police Ara Fidanyan during a parliamentary session, addressing the question posed by MP Zaruhi Batoyan.

Batoyan noted that many people are applying for identification cards and justifiably complaining about serious issues regarding their issuance, with queues formed, or in many cases, the cards not being provided at all, although they are critically necessary for conducting various transactions.

The Deputy Chief of Police stated that at this moment, all individuals who need identification cards for their daily work are being provided these cards without exception. “The issuance will take place until February 15, 2023, after which identification cards will be provided in the same manner but without the electronic chip,” he mentioned.

Regarding the queues that have arisen in various departments of the Passport and Visa Office, Fidanyan said, “The volume of documents being issued by our subdivisions has significantly increased. Additionally, we have made a phased transition to an electronic queuing system, which has significantly eased these queues. We plan to implement this system in territorial subdivisions as well.”

Addressing the Deputy Chief of Police, MP Arsen Torosyan asked him to pay attention to the issue that many people are applying for identification cards, queuing, and each case is being examined separately. “As a citizen of Armenia, I don't quite understand how a police officer determines whether I need an ID card or not. I don't want to think this way, but there could be instances of relative-friend connections, where it might turn out that one person's need is genuine, while another's is not that significant. I believe that instead of introducing such a mechanism, considering the high demand, we should just ensure proper supply and also increase capacities. Nevertheless, I think that due to better planning and operational work, our thousands of citizens would not have to take measures to prove their needs in order to obtain an identification card.”