Bulgaria's Biometric ID System Crashes

Society | June 10, 2010, Thursday // 14:05|  views

Glitches in Siemens software for the new Bulgarian biometric IDs continue to cause public outrage and to force people to line up for days in front of passport offices. Photo by BGNES

The central system for applications for Bulgaria's new ID documents crashed Thursday, the Interior Ministry confirms, informing the problem is at their main computer center.

The Ministry further says a team of experts is working to fix the problem that is blocking the issuing of new ID documents and the work of the Traffic Police, adding they cannot commit to saying the exact times when the system would be running again.

Following its launch on March 29, the new electronic system for issuing personal identity documents was overwhelmed by the number of users online and temporary and sporadic delays in servicing citizens’ needs occurred, with the Interior blaming mostly the German Siemens, which manufactured the software. In April, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, vowed to ask Siemens for at least BGN 5 M in compensations.

At the end of May, the Interior announced passport offices will be open for the last weekend of the month and on all Saturdays in June until needed.

The Interior is also continuing for the time being the order to keep passport offices open during workdays for an additional two hours after closing time if there is a line at the counter.

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Tags: Siemens, ID card, computer system, passport, driving license, interior ministry, biometric data passport

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