Currently, Kyrgyzstan is conducting a free exchange of old-style driver's licenses. Everyone wishing to do so can exchange their indefinite licenses until February 15 without any costs.
Text of the interview:
- Hello, Sadyr Nurgozhoevich. Recently, there has been active interest in society regarding the issue of replacing driver's licenses. There are conflicting opinions: "Is it necessary to change old licenses or not, perhaps the deadlines will be extended again." Why is such a situation arising?
- Indeed, for almost three decades, the issue of driver's licenses has not been raised. Our old passports, ID cards, and driver's licenses were produced outside the country.
At the same time, the protection of these documents left much to be desired, and their quality was low. Since last year, we have started issuing all state documents based on our enterprise "Uchkyn." Now we produce technical passports, driver's licenses, and state vehicle registration plates that meet the highest standards.
There were previously cases where migrants from other countries forged and sold our old licenses and ID passports. In Russia, fake driver's licenses and passports are still in use. Additionally, there have been recorded cases of terrorists being detained with counterfeit Kyrgyz documents, which has harmed Kyrgyzstan's reputation on the international stage.
Now we intend to completely eradicate the problem of counterfeiting. This is precisely why the work on the free exchange of old driver's licenses for new ones began, which will eliminate the possibility of using fake documents both within the country and abroad. Unfortunately, some citizens continue to buy counterfeit licenses in Russia and drive cars in Kyrgyzstan with these documents.
In this regard, a nationwide inventory of all driver's licenses and official documents is being conducted at the state level. Our main goal is to identify illegal documents, streamline the process, and ensure the safety of citizens so as not to undermine the international authority of the state.
Thus, a decision was made to completely replace outdated driver's licenses with new ones. I want to emphasize that the protection of the new documents meets the strictest requirements, and they cannot be forged. Therefore, citizens should exchange their old licenses for new ones.
- Questions regarding the validity periods of driver's licenses also generate a lot of discussions. Some documents are indefinite, but in the "Tunduk" system, their validity expires in 2027 or 2028. What should be done in such cases?
- Let me explain. For the reasons mentioned earlier, we are replacing both old ID cards and driver's licenses. If citizens plan to travel abroad or expect to use their licenses only within the country, they need to exchange their old documents for new ones.
Some licenses are so worn out that the name is unreadable, and the photo is unrecognizable. Therefore, even indefinite licenses are subject to mandatory replacement. The document replacement service is available daily from 8:30 AM to 11:00 PM without breaks.
Previously, a medical certificate No. 083 was required to replace indefinite driver's licenses. To make the process more accessible, citizens with indefinite licenses can now exchange them without providing a medical certificate. It is only required for those obtaining a license for the first time.
- For the convenience of citizens, the option to replace driver's licenses through the "Tunduk" portal has been implemented. However, recently there have been reported failures in the operation of this system. Why did such problems arise at this moment?
- Let me clarify the situation with the "Tunduk" system. Previously, the previous governments only formally declared digitalization, but in practice, this direction was not given due attention, and funding was not provided, which led to a weak server infrastructure.
Due to the lack of investment in the modernization of "Tunduk," 122.5 million soms were allocated from the Presidential Fund to improve the platform. Additionally, 9.5 million soms were allocated from the republican budget for the first stage of modernization.
These measures will significantly enhance the system's capabilities. The failures on the "Tunduk" portal occurred due to a sharp increase in the number of citizens simultaneously accessing the system, which created a high load on the server that it could not handle.
Work to eliminate these malfunctions will continue. Therefore, I strongly recommend that all citizens replace their old ID passports and driver's licenses with new ones. In the future, the global community must be assured of who is a citizen of Kyrgyzstan. Our country should have no doubts about its reputation.
