Universal electronic card has got competition

Y-scale federal project of a universal electronic card has a competitor. Remote access to public services plans to open Rostelecom with major banks, including VTB 24, Bank of Moscow, Alfa Bank, Gazprombank, the bank "Russia". Collaboration Rostelecom with banks may allow a few months later 18% of cardholders pay taxes and fines by the usual "plastic". If the project is to develop, the role of a universal electronic card, which will give each citizen in 2014, may be reduced to a duplication of functions of the passport and health policy. Wrote on Monday, May 23, the newspaper Kommersant. According to the newspaper, on Monday to sign an agreement between Rostelecom and Alfa-Bank to issue cards that provide access to holders of public services. In Rostelecom this information confirmed, adding that a similar agreement signed with the Bank of Moscow. It is assumed that with the card with a chip containing a digital signature (EDS), it will be possible to make payments to the state site www.gosuslugi.ru, created by Rostelecom in conjunction with the Ministry of Communications. The role of "Rostelecom" will be in the technological organization of the bank card with a digital signature, and the banks will issue the cards. The Bank of Moscow have confirmed information about the agreement with Rostelecom. According to the Head of Retail Business Alfa-bank Alexey Marey, to launch a new service to the bank to take two to four months. In a project with Rostelecom on the Rights of the issuing banks have already entered Gazprombank and VTB 24, also plans to participate Banks "Russia" and "St. Petersburg" and Sobinbank. Kommersant said that the new project actually becomes an alternative to highly publicized at the federal level, the project of a universal electronic card (UEK). Previously it was assumed that the remote access to government services will be provided only by UEK. Operator of the project, launched with the active participation of Sberbank, should be of UEK. In the edition of UEK said: "The project proposed by Rostelecom and VTB 24 is, in fact, the layout, which implements a small part of the features of genuine UEK. In fact UEK combines portal of public services, bank card and payment systems business. From 1 July 2011 to begin accession of new participating banks to the system, as well as the providers, owners terminal networks, cellular operators. Rostelecom, the operator of e-government will also be connected to the system UEK as one of the providers. " Sberbank declined to comment on the issue of competition between two projects. "Only of UEK authorized by the Government, in accordance with the law on public services, issue UEK" - said vice-president of the Savings Bank Airat Gaskarov (in charge of a bank draft UEK). In the outlined compete with UEK will be an advantage. Bank cards with electronic signatures, in contrast to UEK, can not be used offline - as a passport or health insurance policy. However, as a passport is easier to use all the same passport, agree to market participants. "Citizens can simply be incomprehensible, for which they start the map with the functions of the passport and insurance policy" - indicates the head of the committee on payment systems and banking instruments of the National Association of E-commerce Borys Kim. In terms of basic function - to provide remote access to public services - citizens will be able to choose between two projects, he adds. Advertisement UEK to hedge against excessive competition in advance. According to the law on public services, maps, similar to having a functional UEK must be repaid no later than January 1, 2014. It is true that under this provision expressly subject to cards issued prior to enactment of the law (Summer 2010), for example, social map of the Muscovite. And even if it becomes an occasion for debate before 2014 for the project of "Rostelecom" will be the time to prove its right to exist, experts say. "If our proposed method of access to public services will be more convenient, the law will be amended to remove the question of monopoly", - says Alexei Nashchekin. Agrees with him partner at the law firm Lidings Andrey Zelenin: Questions usability, manufacturability and cost of the project is important enough to alter the law. "