“The employees of the KEP are called on themselves to bear the burden of the new AMKA procedures” – ONLARISSA.GR Larisa News

In a question to the competent ministers of the Interior and Labor & Social Security, the Secretary of K.O. of PASOK-Movement of Change and Member of Parliament of Larissa, Evangelia Liakoulis, in relation to the inability of the country’s KEPs to respond to the new process of issuing, activating, deactivating AMKA, due to the understaffing of the Services, the lack of infrastructure and the lack of information and preparation of the employees under the responsibility of the co-competent Ministries.

As underlined by the Secretary of K.O. of PASOK in its question, in December 2023, the new framework for the granting and operation of the AMKA to citizens was set and the e-EFKA Services and the KEP were designated as competent services.

However, the KEPs of the country are unable to respond to these new increased responsibilities and while they serve a large number of citizens every day, the KEPs remain understaffed.

Today, the employees are asked to manage an entirely new procedure, which concerns all citizens (Greeks and foreigners living in Greece), without any preparation, since the Ministry of the Interior has not done the slightest thing to train them, while not there has been an electronic presentation of the new process. Employees are therefore called upon to interpret and apply the new regulations, without adequate preparation, with all the risks this entails for citizens. The supposed electronic governance and interoperability of the Services for the convenience of citizens remains at the level of announcements, since the KEP employees are obliged to process handwritten applications and send them by post to e-EFKA together with the necessary supporting documents.

At the same time, the infrastructures in a large number of KEPs are completely unsuitable for the new data. Citizens are overcrowded and there are not enough waiting and processing areas, nor are there special areas to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the process, which even concerns personal data. Also, the infrastructure for full accessibility for the disabled has not been built.

Evangelia Liakoulis notes that the above problems have caused enormous disruption to the KEP workers who already from April 13, 2024 and

henceforth, they have gone on strike in the form of permanent abstinence from their duties related to the new AMKA procedures.

With the risk of paralyzing the entire system of procedures for issuing, activating, etc. of AMKA being huge, resulting in the suffering and burden of the citizens, the Secretary of K.O. of PASOK calls on the relevant Ministries to provide an immediate solution and specifically asks the Ministers of Interior and Labor “what actions will you take in order to ensure the orderly processing of the new AMKA procedures that have been assigned to the KEPs?” Will you grant a stay on the new regulations that fail to implement the CEPs until they are prepared? Does the Ministry of the Interior intend to strengthen the staffing and infrastructure of the KEPs in order to respond to the new responsibilities, ensuring service and accessibility to citizens? Will the Ministry of the Interior ensure the proper training and preparation of KEP employees regarding their new duties?”