Computers with data base of people forbidden to go abroad freeze in visa and registration departments

ERB was assured that people could get information from the date base of people forbidden to go abroad during several minutes if it did not keep freezing. Frunzenksi District visa and registration department is ready to inform you about your status at any time. The only problem is that the data base is constantly “freezing” there. An ERB reporter decided to find out if he was on the list of people forbidden to go abroad. At first I was surprised at the fact that they said they would reply in 2 or 3 minutes (!). However, they asked me to come some other day after several failed attempts to load the data base.

Employee of Frunzenski visa and registration department: We can tell you whether you are on the list today but you will have to wait.

ERB: And will I have to write an appeal?

Employee of Frunzenski visa and registration department: Well, you can write it if you like. I’m not busy at the moment so I can look through the data base if it loads… You know, you should better come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

At that moment a guy entered the office and wondered about his status. He had written an appeal the previous Friday and it was the third time he had come to the visa and registration department to find out the answer. Computers have not been functioning a single time!!!!!

Guy: I do not know what is going on with their data base, but it is the third time I have come here and they are asking me to come some other day again. I’m tired. Can’t they make it work? They have told me to come on Friday but I am sure I will get no answer.

It turns out that the data base freezes every day.

Frunzenksi District visa and registration department does not give any reference on the phone. If you need a written answer you have to wait a month and if you just need a verbal answer you have to wait till the data base is available.
By the way, as ERB has found out, every visa and registration department presents information about people forbidden to leave the country in a different way. A written answer in Central District takes 2 or 3 days, in Frunzenski District – a month and you cannot get a verbal reply in Maskouski District visa and registration department.

Employee of a visa and registration department: Why would you get interested in it if you did not have any problems with the law? Do you think I’m going to check everyone who asks for it? Then the whole Minsk would stand in a queue!

The employee of the visa and registration department does not even want to discuss the possibility of looking through the data base today: the number of interested people is so great that they do not want to accept all appeals. The explanation that you simply decided to make sure is considered unreasonable in Maskouski District.

The situation in Central District visa and registration department is different: you can usually get information on the day of your appeal. However, the data base froze just like in Frunzenski District on Wednesday, February 20.

Central District visa and registration department: We have not been able to load the data base today but it is the first time this problem has appeared. Everything was okay yesterday. If something is bugged we accept appeals and phone back.

There is no queue in Central District visa and registration department so a written answer can be received in a very short term– 2 or 3 days.

ERB has decided to find out if customs officers have had any problems with the data base today. According to the senior officer on communication of “Damachava” check-point Dzmitry Dzevyatau, the data base always loads without any problem. We phoned to Frunzenksi District visa and registration department at the end of the working day. The data base was still down.