People's Services Agency

The  (Agencia de Servicios al Pueblo, ASP) serves as a for a variety of government programs in Ventora. Part of the Governance Commission, it includes services from a number of government agencies. These include identification cards, passports, vehicle registration plates, and social assistance programs for citizens as well as visa extensions for foreign nationals.

History
Before the turn of the century, Ventorans had to interact with the responsible government agency directly for the services needed. Although the Universal Services Number (Número de Servicios Universales, NSU) was a standard means of accessing a citizen's records in many agencies, the various government services were available only from offices operated by the respective agencies or commissions. For example, obtaining a driving license required a visit to the Transport Licensure Service while a passport could only be obtained at an office of the Directorate General for Nationalities. Some services with lower demand required citizens to travel to larger cities to obtain the needed assistance.

During the course of the 20th century, the Universal Services Card (Tarjeta de Servicios Universalis, TSU) became the for accessing services among the various agencies. In 1965, the Commonweal Commission rationalized the various healthcare and social welfare schemes so the TSU serves as the single identification for accessing those services. Vehicle and vessel operating license information was added to the TSU in 1974. Although there had been discussions about simplifying access to various government services, the legal responsibilities of the commissions and agencies made them reluctant to give up the administration of their programs.

In 2000, a family in perished after being evicted from their residence. While a number of factors played a role, the family had no source of income and could not obtain transport to the regional Bureau for Exigencies office for emergency assistance with housing and food. As a result, members of the family died from exposure with complications due to long-term malnourishment. While not unique, the incident drew national attention. A 2001 law established the framework for a single point of access to key programs and the People's Services Agency was stood up the following year.