PMO sets up panel to probe passport rollout

Nepal's Prime Minister’s Office has formed a cross-ministerial panel to investigate persistent technical glitches affecting the new passport system. The system, introduced by the Department of Passports on July 14, has struggled with implementation since its launch, significantly impacting daily passport production.

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The department should have had its own biometric verification system instead of depending on data maintained by another government agency.

The panel, headed by National Planning Commission member Professor Sudan Jha, includes experts and officials from various government ministries and agencies. Its mandate is to examine the technical problems, review the financial and technical aspects of the project, and recommend corrective measures. The team is expected to submit its report within one week.

The new passport system replaced the decade-and-a-half dominance of French company IDEMIA. However, since the German firms Veridos GmbH and Muehlbauer ID Service GmbH began operations, the system has been plagued by issues. Passport services were suspended for data migration and system upgrades from July 7, resuming on Monday, but officials anticipate at least three months for full system stabilization.

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About five out of every 10 applications are encountering technical problems.

One major challenge identified is the department's reliance on the National Identity Card Management Centre for biometric verification, which has complicated processing. Many applicants report errors in personal details, leading to reapplication. Daily passport production has dropped from around 6,000 to fewer than 2,000, as technicians work to resolve the issues. The department's inadequate preparation is cited as a root cause for the ongoing problems.

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The department has not been able to issue passports in line with demand because of persistent technical glitches.