Sunday Nov 17, 2024
Sunday Nov 17, 2024
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The first set of new passports will reach the country on Saturday easing the ongoing shoratge. This quantity is part of the 750,000 consignment.
“A fresh shipment is expected this Saturday and the new stock of passports will be distributed from Monday. We expect the move will ease the backlog of applications caused by the shortage,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Vijitha Herath said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.
Although the 750,000 new passports provide immediate relief, Herath cautioned that this stock will be depleted soon and to avoid another shortage, the Government has decided to initiate a new procurement process.
“Once these passports run out, we will be calling for tenders to order additional supplies to meet the ongoing demand,” he explained.
The decision marks a return to the previous supplier for the short-term, while preparing to transition to a longer-term procurement solution.
Herath assured Government’s commitment to taking proactive measures to prevent further disruptions. “We are doing everything to ensure that the passport needs of the public are met promptly,” he said, acknowledging the frustration of citizens facing long waits.
The passport crisis, which has left the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) with just 50,000 books, far below the daily demand of 3,000-3,500 passports stems from a stalled effort by the previous administration to introduce an e-passport. The contract for the e-passports was awarded to Thales DIS Finland Oy, tasked with delivering five million e-passports. However, the company failed to meet its June deadline, triggering a supply shortage that led to long queues and the temporary introduction of an online appointment system, which has since been discontinued due to logistical issues.
