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🇳🇵 Nepal /Economy & Trade

German-printed passports set for Nepal rollout

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Nepal is set to begin issuing new passports printed by German firms next week, despite ongoing investigations into the procurement process.
  • The rollout was delayed due to a corruption case and the need to use existing passport booklet stock to avoid significant financial loss.
  • Passport services will be temporarily suspended for application collection and processing to facilitate the transition to the new system.

Nepal is preparing to launch its new e-passport system next Monday, with passports printed by two German firms, Veridos GmbH and Muhlbauer ID Service GmbH. The transition, however, has been fraught with delays and controversy, including a corruption case filed by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) against 18 individuals linked to the procurement.

The Department of Passports would begin issuing passports under the new system next week.

— Shisir KhanalForeign Minister announcing the upcoming launch of the new passport system.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal announced the upcoming rollout during discussions in the National Assembly, stating that the Department of Passports would begin issuing the new passports under the new system. The rollout was initially stalled partly because the government, upon taking office in March, inherited approximately 250,000 passport booklets from the previous supplier. Switching immediately would have resulted in a loss of around $2.5 million.

Switching immediately would have resulted in a loss of around $2.5 million, at the rate of $10.13 per booklet.

— Shisir KhanalExplaining the financial implications of not utilizing the existing stock of passport booklets.

Furthermore, migrating the personal data of around 20 million Nepali citizens to the new integrated passport management system required a temporary suspension of services. To manage this transition, the department has halted the collection of passport applications from Tuesday to Friday at District Administration Offices and diplomatic missions abroad. Services at the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar will also be affected for two days.

Passport services could experience minor disruptions during the initial three-month "stabilisation period" after the new system goes live, but a dedicated technical team will remain on standby to resolve any problems.

— Shisir KhanalAddressing potential issues during the initial phase of the new passport system.

While the minister acknowledged that minor disruptions might occur during the initial three-month "stabilisation period," he assured that a dedicated technical team would be on standby to address any issues. Lawmakers have called for a parliamentary investigation into the procurement process, citing alleged irregularities. The passport controversy also led the Foreign Minister to cancel his planned visit to New York to attend the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, as the issue demanded his immediate attention in Kathmandu.

it would be inappropriate to comment on a matter that is sub judice.

— Shisir KhanalResponding to questions about the ongoing CIAA investigation and corruption case.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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