The Attorney General’s Office, after an inspection of one of the Foreign Ministry’s service posts, revealed that the entity has outdated, obsolete software that lacks operational capacity.
The inspection was carried out in order to establish What are the problems that have been occurring in order for citizens to easily obtain passport appointments?
During the hearing, the team led by Attorney General Claudia Hernández, second delegate for the surveillance of the Public Function, He inquired about the operation and the way in which schedules and quotas are assignedwhich are the biggest drawbacks that users encounter when accessing the platform and which forces many to resort to processors.
(Read more: The changes coming to passport issuance: will the National Printing Office produce them?)
Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo.
Sergio Acero – The Weather
During the inspection, in which IT officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to concerns raised by the control body, The implementation of the new system with which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to optimize the service to citizens with stricter records was disclosedextended hours and the opportunity to choose appointments.
“Regarding the issue of possible hotbeds of corruption and the intermediaries, the representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office hardened her position by pointing out that no type of these practices can be allowed, and therefore urged the need not only to update the system but also to adopt greater computer security controls.“, the Attorney General’s Office states.
At the end of the inspection, The attorney demanded a work schedule and an increase in staff capacity to improve citizen service as demand is outstripping supply, with an average of 2,300 appointments being delivered daily.
(See also: Thinking about traveling? Here’s how much it will cost to issue a passport in 2024)
Colombian passport
iStock
It is worth noting that the inspection takes place before the current contract for the issuance of passports is finalized, which is estimated to be finalized at the beginning of October this year. In addition, the foreign minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, announced that starting that same month, the system for scheduling appointments to obtain a passport will undergo some changes.
(Read also: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes requirements for a new tender for the issuance of passports)
“Appointments are operating normally, however, there have been complaints about difficulties in scheduling appointments, so we are going to change the system, because it is associated with software that is quite outdated, the truth is, and that also lends itself to being taken advantage of at some point.“, the official explained.
The Minister also stressed that complaints related to this service have already been submitted to the relevant authorities. This is considering that information has been received regarding external processors to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the sale of quotas to obtain a space on the agenda.
